Paraic O'Brien , Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The people of Kherson had already lived through months of Russian occupation. 

Much of Kherson, which was liberated by Ukraine late last year, has been turned into a giant lake.

The silence Kyiv had been encouraging seemed to break today – and in the last few hours a Ukrainian deputy defence minister appeared to confirm that the war may be about to enter a new phase, with her country’s forces moving to “offensive actions” in some places.

Ukraine’s long awaited summer offensive – months in the making – isn’t yet materialising as expected.

Russia’s wave of drone attacks against Ukraine continued overnight – killing at least four people across the country and sparking fires in residential buildings in Kyiv.

Fighting and airstrikes have continued inside Sudan despite a week-long ceasefire, although humanitarian missions have managed to deliver some urgently needed aid.

Russia’s defence ministry claims it has defeated a group of insurgents who crossed from Ukraine into the Belgorod region of Russia and launched a series of attacks.

The United States is backing an international plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets due to begin in the next few weeks. 

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has claimed “a real war has been unleashed again” against his country – at a distinctly scaled back parade through Moscow’s Red Square, marking the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender. Mr Putin used the occasion to justify Russia’s war in Ukraine – flanked by a handful of leaders from former…

At least 3 civilians have been killed and dozens injured after Russia launched another wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine during the night.

The Mayday protests in France have been marked by unrest – police clashed with anarchist protestors in Paris and a number of other cities – as unrest broke out during rallies organised by trade unions against President Macron’s unpopular pension reforms.

The UK government says it will end evacuation flights from Sudan by 6pm tomorrow – saying more than 1,500 people had been airlifted out so far – the vast majority of them British nationals and eligible dependents. Amid reports of more fighting and explosions across many parts of the country, the UN has warned that…

The first UK nationals to flee Sudan’s violence touched down at Stansted this afternoon and spoke of their utter relief at being home. But that was tempered with concern at the people left behind.  

One RAF plane with British nationals on board has already left Sudan and “many more” will follow, Rishi Sunak has promised, claiming the UK was now able to evacuate people safely in “very significant numbers”. Thousands of Sudanese refugees have been heading for neighbouring Chad and South Sudan and the UN has warned more than…

There’s a Royal Navy frigate nearby and an RAF plane has landed in Port Sudan – as ministers admitted the “job isn’t done” when it comes to rescuing thousands of British passport holders trapped by the fighting.