Russian claim of deadly Ukrainian attack on Kursk beach; convictions over Wagner arson attack in London. What we know on day 1,232
Donald Trump was reportedly caught off guard by the Pentagon’s abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, which the president has overturned. The Associated Press cited three people familiar with the matter, one of whom described Trump as being caught “flat footed” by last week’s announcement. A Pentagon spokesperson denied that the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, had acted without consulting the president. But asked by a reporter on Tuesday who had approved the pause, Trump bristled at the question while he was gathered with his Cabinet. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
Trump on Tuesday voiced his frustration with Vladimir Putin and promised to send Ukraine 10 Patriot missiles, which are claimed to be in short supply. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said he was getting increasingly frustrated with the Russian leader. “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Asked if he wanted to see further sanctions against Russia, Trump replied: “I’m looking at it.” On Monday he said he was “disappointed” with Russia’s president and would send “more weapons” to Ukraine, reversing the Pentagon’s pause.
Russian authorities claimed a Ukrainian drone attack on a beach in Kursk city killed three people, including a Russian serviceman and injured seven. Alexander Khinshtein, the acting regional governor, claimed the Russian national guard member had been trying to evacuate people from the scene because of a drone attack. Khinshtein also claimed a Ukrainian drone hit a hospital in the Kursk oblast town of Rylsk, injuring two people, blowing out windows and setting a roof on fire. There was no independent confirmation and throughout the war Ukraine has denied targeting civilians, with its strikes inside Russia focused on military facilities and personnel, individual senior commanders, and strategic national infrastructure such as fuel depots and refineries.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) will be allowed to set up its own pre-trial detention centres under a bill passed by the lower house of parliament. The power was previously abolished with the demise of the Soviet-era KGB. Lawmakers say its revival is a response to a spike in the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign powers since Russia started the war.
A group of men have been convicted over an arson attack ordered by the banned Russian terrorist group Wagner on an east London warehouse used to supply humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine. They went on to plot more arson attacks in London’s Mayfair district and the kidnap of a Russian dissident but were ultimately unsuccessful. Old Bailey judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the convicted men would be sentenced on a date to be fixed in the autumn.
