Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe but, if the West escalated the Ukraine war any further, then Moscow should respond and, if necessary,

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum.

In June, Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing a total of 2,368 Ukrainian drones, with an average of almost 79 drones per day across the month. Thus far in July, the Defense Ministry said it has downed 1,516 Ukrainian drones, with a daily average of 89 drones.

Ukraine’s military commander in charge of the country’s drone warfare program urged the US and NATO countries alike on Wednesday to learn from Kyiv’s use of the technology on the battlefield so in the future there are not “hard questions from your children [about] when [their] father will come back.

Russian officials and commentators have shown little indication that Moscow is about to change course under new pressure.

Second, Mr Trump says he will give Russia 50 days to end the fighting or face economic punishment, with America imposing secondary tariffs on any country that buys Russian exports, mostly its oil. Finally,

One of Vladimir Putin's mouthpieces has warned Donald Trump that he is pushing Russia towards nuclear war. After pledging to deliver more weapons to Ukraine - including the prized Patriot air defence systems - the US president rattled the Kremlin further and threatened to unleash additional sanctions if Putin refuses to negotiate a ceasefire deal in 50 days.

Fossil fuel revenues form the backbone of Russia's economy, which has been buffeted by sanctions following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.