Putin hits Ukraine with savage strikes as King Charles warns of 'tyranny'

Just hours after King Charles issued a stark warning to Donald Trump about the threat of “tyranny returning to Europe,” Russia launched another wave of overnight strikes against Ukraine.

According to reports, Russian missiles and drones targeted multiple regions. In Poltava, a fuel station was bombed, leaving six people injured, while strikes on railway infrastructure disrupted transport links. Near Kyiv’s Boryspil airport, a drone attack sparked a massive fire at a warehouse, and explosions were also reported in Bucha the town infamous for Russian atrocities during the early stages of the war.

In Dnipropetrovsk, energy facilities and residential areas were hit, causing a halt to long-distance rail services. Ukrainian officials have responded by urging Western allies to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow.

During his state visit to the UK, Donald Trump was reminded by King Charles at Windsor Castle that Europe once again faces the threat of tyranny, with the monarch stressing unity with Ukraine in resisting aggression.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces continued to retaliate. Footage showed the Black Forest Brigade destroying a Russian Buk-M2 air defense system worth £20 million in the east. Ukrainian drones also disabled a Russian Sopka-2 radar system in Voronezh, while reports suggested a Lukoil facility in Volgograd was struck by multiple drones.

Meanwhile, new revelations suggest Russia may be trying to buy back S-400 missile defense systems it originally sold to Turkey in 2019. The report, first shared by Turkish outlet Nefes, has not yet been officially confirmed, but Ukraine’s Militarnyi defense news site claimed Turkish officials were showing a “positive attitude” toward the discussions.

Turkey purchased four S-400 batteries for $2.7 billion in 2017, but they were never integrated into NATO’s defense network and remain largely idle. With maintenance costs rising and missile shelf lives running down, some in Ankara see the systems as a burden. Selling them back to Moscow could ease that pressure and potentially improve Turkey’s defense ties with the United States, including negotiations for F-16s and its own TF Kaan stealth fighter program.

This move also highlights how depleted Russia’s arsenal has become, forcing Moscow to consider unusual measures to maintain its war campaign against Ukraine.