Vladimir Putin has reportedly pulled Russia’s long-serving UK ambassador from London amid fears of a diplomatic breakdown between Moscow and the UK.

The Times reported on Saturday night that Andrey Kelin vacated his post on 21 July. No replacement has been sought by Moscow.

A spokesman for the Russian embassy told The Times Mr Kelin had made “considerable efforts to preserve contacts and channels of communication” with the UK and accused the government of choosing a “path of confrontation” with Russia.

Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine has “opened Pandora’s box” after hitting Russian targets in a string of drone strikes on Saturday.

Russia and Ukraine are both ramping up drone campaigns aiming to cripple each other’s economic infrastructure, often striking targets far beyond the war’s front lines, as fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-and-a-half-year mark.

On Friday, at least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded ⁠when several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central ​Ukraine. Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Ukraine’s strikes, which Kyiv says seek to choke off financing for Moscow’s war effort, had opened a “Pandora’s box” of Russian retaliation.

Russian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing.

Moscow and its surrounding regions have been forced to reimpose purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.

As Ukraine intensifies its “deep strike” campaign, hitting another major oil refinery on Wednesday, the strain on Russia’s domestic energy grid continues to grow. Across at least 12 regions, miles of gridlocked traffic now stall forecourts, with motorists waiting up to 30 hours only to find the pumps empty.

The prolonged waits have pushed the Russian public to breaking point, with footage showing fights erupting between drivers over fuel.

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A drone warfareUS Army unit in Europe has been told to return to being a traditional infantry battalion.

For more nearly a year, soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade have been experimenting and building their own drones, as well as participating in drills on waging unmanned warfare after Ukraine pioneered such tactics in its yearslong conflict with Russia.

Two trucks caught fire during a Russian strike on Kyiv.

Two people have been killed and nine others are injured following the attack this afternoon.

A parliamentary committee has defended its decision to block five bills intended to fight against corruption.

The bills are requirements of the European Union and are needed to advance Kyiv’s EU accession talks.

It is also needed for Ukraine to receive an estimated 2.1 billion euros at the end of 2026, The Kyiv Independent reported.

The Ukrainian parliament’s law enforcement committee blocked the bill on August 19, by not including them in the agenda of parliament’s current session.

Olha Savchenko, a committee member from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, said the bills shouldn’t be accepted. Instead she said parliament should wait for alternative versions of the reforms from the Cabinet of Ministers.

Anti-corruption activists have criticised the move.

Ukraine is aiming to create 100,000 new jobs for veterans as part of a government scheme.

Ukraine already has some 1.5 million veterans, but the country does not have a unified system to support them.

Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi did not give details about the program and explained the ambitious plan will involve state companies and private businesses.

Koretskyi added that veterans have exceptional skills and discipline and the government’s task is to use that experience in the civil service, business and public administration, The Kyiv Independent reported.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with retired US Lieutenant General and former presidential envoy Keith Kellogg at a Veterans Forum in Kyiv.

During the meeting today, Zelensky said that a top priority for Ukraine’s protection against Russian strikes is anti-ballistic defense.

He also briefed Kellogg on efforts with European partners to create an anti-ballistic shield.