Live: Top NATO military commander says a Russian attack would be 'utterly futile'

Russia continued to attack multiple power plants in Ukraine on Monday, in spite of claims by US President Donald yesterday stating a so-called “energy ceasefire” had been agreed to. NATO chief said that the military alliance would “block, blunt and break” any Russian attack on its members’ territory. Meanwhile strikes on civilians continue, with a 13-year-old girl among three killed in the country's east. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Russian strike on Kyiv residential building kills one, officials say

⁠A ⁠Russian ​strike on ​a residential building in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv ​killed ‌one ⁠person, the city's ‌military administration said on ⁠Telegram.

Officials had earlier said that ​a Russian ‌drone struck a high-rise apartment building ‌in an eastern ​suburb of the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said ​four people ​were injured ​in that attack.

Pictures posted ​on unofficial Telegram channels showed parts of an apartment ⁠building ablaze.

Poland says two Turkish nationals detained in Germany over Starlink station fire

Two Turkish ​citizens have been ​detained in Germany in connection with a ​fire ‌at a ⁠Starlink station in Poland, ‌the Polish Interior Minister ⁠Marcin Kierwinski said.

Poland's Special Services ​Minister Tomasz Siemoniak ‌said Russia was behind the incident.

Officials from ‌several EU countries ​have warned for months that Russia has been mounting ​sabotage, cyber and ​other hybrid attacks ​across Europe to erode ​support for Ukraine. Russia says such accusations are baseless and ⁠the result of anti-Russian hysteria.

EU countries back visa ban for Russian ex-combatants, EU's Kallas says

EU countries back barring entry to Russians who fought in Ukraine, but need to work out how to implement the measure, the EU's top diplomat said.

"The political agreement is there. We just need to work out the technicalities," Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers Monday.

The EU has been mulling introducing the ban for months but has faced questions over how it could be enforced.

The push has gained traction as fears have risen over what Western officials describe as Moscow's "hybrid" campaign of sabotage and interference in Europe.

Alongside that there are also discussions on limiting travel for Moscow's diplomats and tightening criteria for tourist visas for Russians.

Now is not the time to ease pressure on Moscow, EU's Kallas says

European ​Union foreign ministers ​have a clear understanding that now ​is ‌not ⁠the moment to ‌ease pressure on ⁠Russia, Kaja Kallas, the bloc's ​foreign policy chief, ‌told reporters.

"Pressure ‌on Moscow, ​not concessions, is the fastest way to end ​the war," ​she ​said following a ​gathering of European foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

Russia introduces visa-free travel for Vietnamese citizens

Russia has ​introduced a visa-free ​regime for Vietnamese citizens, a decree ​signed ‌by Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin ‌showed.

The regime, ⁠which will remain in force ​until October ‌15 2027, allows Vietnamese citizens to visit ‌Russia without a ​visa for up to 30 days.

The policy does ​not apply ​to Vietnamese ​citizens travelling to Russia ​for employment.

Russia has similar visa-free arrangements with citizens of several ⁠countries, including China.

Ukraine says EU set to open accession stages after Kyiv passes minority rights law

Ukraine expects the European Union to approve opening the second and ​third ‌stages of its accession ⁠talks on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha ‌said.

Earlier, Ukraine's parliament ⁠passed legislation expanding the rights of Hungarian speakers and other minorities to receive ​education in their native ‌language, part of an agreement with Hungary's new government to drop objections that had ‌blocked Kyiv's EU membership bid.

Sybiha said he ​met his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban on the sidelines of a Foreign Affairs ​Council meeting in Luxembourg and ​they welcomed the implementation ​of bilateral agreements between the two countries.

"We welcome ​today's important step by the Ukrainian Parliament on minority education rights," Orban said on X.

'Ukraine's future is in the EU', EU's Kallas says

Zelensky says 'increasingly clear' Russia does not want energy ceasefire after strikes

Ukrainian ​President Volodymyr Zelensky ​said it was "increasingly clear" that ​Russia ‌was unwilling ⁠to accept ‌a US-proposed ceasefire ⁠on energy strikes, as Moscow hit ​six ‌Ukrainian energy facilities.

"This ‌is what ​happens when Russia sees the prospect ​of higher revenues ​for ​its war machine," ​he wrote in a post on ⁠X.

Finland calls for EU ban on Russian tourist visas

Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged all EU countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians until Moscow ends its invasion of Ukraine.

Valtonen, in a statement, urged the European Commission to "adopt stricter guidelines on the processing of visa applications by Russian citizens" and "introduce necessary amendments to EU legislation to implement a ban on tourist visas".

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is now in its fifth year. It is not right that Russians can travel to Europe to enjoy the way of life and freedoms here while their country bombs the homes of Ukrainians," Valtonen said.

Germany faces 'shadow war' that goes beyond Cold War threats, minister warns

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned that Germany faced a "shadow war" more far-reaching than the Cold ​War, and ‌said the threat underscored the need to strengthen the country's BfV domestic intelligence ⁠agency.

"The shadow war we are witnessing today has an objective that extends far beyond anything seen during the Cold War," Dobrindt said at a ‌BfV press conference in Berlin.

Officials from many Western countries have warned for ⁠months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine.

Three killed in Russian strike in eastern Ukraine

A 13-year-old girl was among three people killed in a Russian strike on a house near the frontline city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, the authorities said.

The head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said a house in the Cherkaske area was hit with cluster munitions, accusing Russia of "a deliberate attempt" to maximise civilian casualties.

NATO's top military commander warns Russia over alleged sabotage

As the war in Ukraine continues, Western concerns are growing over Moscow’s alleged campaign of sabotage and interference against Kiev's wartime backers.

Watch the replay of the press conference from NATO's top military commander and analysis by FRANCE 24's International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert.

Zelensky says learned of Trump's 'energy ceasefire' through media

An Axios report is citing an unnamed US source who says that US President Donald Trump's surprise energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine only concerns oil refineries.

FRANCE 24's Elitsa Gadeva explains what this would mean for both sides.

Ukraine adopts law key to advancing EU accession talks

Ukrainian lawmakers passed legislation protecting the rights of national minorities, in a move expected to remove a major stumbling block to the country's EU ambitions.

Hungary has blocked the opening of so-called negotiation "clusters" – policy areas with which EU candidates must align their laws – as it accuses Kyiv of failing to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority.

Kyiv has long said it respected minorities rights but negotiated with Budapest and passed the legislation, which still requires President Volodymyr Zelensky's signature to become law.

'Hit more data centres' in Russia, says Lithuania PM

Ukraine's allies should ask President Volodymyr Zelensky to "hit more data centres" in Russia, Lithuanian prime minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told the Warsaw Security Forum.

"I believe that we should ask Mr Zelensky to hit more data centres in Russia, and that might help," he said when asked what Lithuania, Poland and other allies should do to protect elections in their countries against interference.

He added allies should make "huge" investments in fighting disinformation.

Data centres belonging to Yandex, often dubbed "Russia's Google", have come under attack in recent weeks, which follows a spate of Russian attacks on similar facilities in Ukraine.

Russian continues to strike Ukraine despite Trump's announcement of an 'energy ceasefire'

Russia attacks multiple power plants in Ukraine including in Kharkiv and the capital Kiev. The strikes were reported despite claims from US President Donald Trump that a so-called “energy ceasefire” is in place.

Moscow has yet to on any potential deal while Ukrainian President Zelensky said the announcement came as a surprise.

Analysis by FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Douglas Herbert.

Germany's Merz says Russia not serious peace, calls for tougher sanctions

⁠Russia has ​shown that ​it is not serious peace talks by ​responding ‌to ⁠the US proposal for an ‌energy ceasefire with fresh ⁠attacks on Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, ​said German Chancellor ‌Friedrich Merz in Berlin.

"Russia will ‌only negotiate seriously ​under pressure, which is why we are sticking to ​our sanctions ​against Russia," said Merz. "Following ​Moscow's ruthless attacks on ​Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, we must actually tighten them further."

NATO should set out 'red lines' to Russia over hybrid attacks, top NATO commander says

NATO should signal its "red lines" to Russia over sabotage attacks in Europe, the alliance's top military commander said.

"It's important that allies continue to consult, think how we might respond, and make sure that we message clearly and concisely to the Russians where our red lines are," NATO commander Alexus Grynkewich said in Warsaw.

EU adopts new North Korea sanctions over Pyongyang's support for Russian war effort

The ​EU ​adopted sanctions against three individuals and four ​entities ‌in ⁠North Korea to target ‌the country's nuclear ⁠and ballistic missile activities, the Council ​of the European ‌Union said in a statement.

The new ‌designations were linked ​to growing military and economic cooperation with Russia, ​including the ​deployment of North ​Korean workers to ​Russia, commercial and industrial cooperation, and an "arms-for-oil" trade, the ⁠statement said.

'It's obviously completely asymmetrical': How is Ukraine responding to Trump's 'energy ceasefire'?

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed surprise at US President Donald Trump's unilateral announcement that an “energy ceasefire” had been agreed upon between Ukraine and Russia.

FRANCE 24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv on how Ukrainians are reaction to the unexpected declaration.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)