A key ally of Vladimir Putin has warned the West the Kremlin could order “preventative strikes” if it thought them “necessary”. Earlier, Russia said it destroyed Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted Moscow and other Russian regions. Follow the latest below.
Thursday 17 July 2025 09:11, UK
The former Russian president has accused the West of waging a full-scale war against Russia and said Moscow should respond in full, and if necessary launch preventative strikes, the TASS news agency reports.
“We need to act accordingly. Respond in full. And if necessary, launch preventative strikes,” Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying.
But in the same interview, Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s powerful Security Council and key ally of Vladimir Putin, also dismissed statements by Western officials that Russia could attack Europe as complete rubbish.
“Let me remind you that our president has unequivocally stated that Russia has no intention of fighting NATO or ‘attacking Europe’,” he added.
On Tuesday, Medvedev said Moscow “didn’t care” about the “theatrical ultimatum” Donald Trump issued to the Kremlin in which he threatened Russia with “severe tariffs” unless a peace deal with Ukraine was reached within 50 days.
The Kremlin’s reaction to Donald Trump’s weapons and sanctions announcement this week has been “quite muted” and they may be “considering their options”, the former UK defence attache to Moscow and Kyiv said.
John Foreman told Sky’s Matt Barbet Trump’s language since March showed continued dissatisfaction and gave off “a sense he is being played along”.
“I welcome his comments on Monday that he could send arms and maybe put tariffs on Russian partners in 50 days,” he said.
“Of course, the question with Trump is he is the most capricious man in the world – he could easily change his mind.
“One phone call from Putin could sway Trump.
“I welcome what happened on Monday but the proof will be in the pudding.”
Looking at what the Kremlin would be making of Trump’s announcement, Foreman said Russia “probably overreached” when Trump initially came to power and “thought they could carry on and get an advantage out of Trump”.
Now, they have been “sadly mistaken”.
“I think there was always a risk for the Kremlin that he would change position and they may think they can ride this out but we know the Russian economy is under severe strain and targeting Russia’s war machine means that could change their position even further,” he added.
“I think the reaction from the Kremlin has been quite muted. I think they are considering their options.”
Preparations are under way to transfer additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine “as quickly as possible”, NATO’s top military commander has said.
Speaking at a conference in the German city of Wiesbaden, Alexus Grynkewich said: “Preparations are under way, we are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer.
“The guidance that I have been given has been to move out as quickly as possible.”
Why are they important?
Patriot systems are highly effective against sophisticated Russian weapons like ballistic and cruise missiles.
With a radar range exceeding 150km and their ability to engage multiple targets at one, the systems are vital in protecting large civilian areas and critical infrastructure.
Beyond their technical prowess, Patriots also signal strong US and NATO support for Ukraine, boosting morale and demonstrating political commitment to Kyiv.
Ukrainian troops have been training in the Kyiv region as drone attacks intensify on the country.
The scenes come after Donald Trump’s announcement this week that America would supply arms to Ukraine via NATO, with Europe picking up the bill.
Many details remain unclear, including the types and quantity of weapons, how quickly they would be sent and precisely how they would be paid for.
Germany’s defence ministry has said it has no knowledge of any Patriot missile systems that are on their way to Ukraine – contradicting Donald Trump’s claim that the weapons are en route to Kyiv.
“I cannot confirm that anything is currently on the way. That is not known to me,” a spokesperson for the German defence ministry has said, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
On Wednesday, Trump said that weapons are already being shipped to Ukraine.
This followed his announcement that Washington will sell weapons to NATO which can then be passed on to Ukraine.
Several European countries have already committed to support this initiative, including Germany, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada and Finland.
A Ukrainian drone attack has killed one person and injured six in Russia’s southern city of Belgorod, regional fovernor Vyacheslav Gladkov reports.
Gladkov said all six injured were being treated in hospital for shrapnel wounds.
Six homes have also suffered damage.
Twenty-nine of the drones were destroyed over Belgorod region on the Ukrainian border, with a further 16 over Bryansk region, another border region to the west.
Russian air defence units destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted the capital Moscow and other Russian regions, Russian authorities report this morning.
At least one person was injured after the drones were launched at the Russian capital.
A civilian facility also sustained minor damage in the Smolensk region that borders Belarus, regional Governor Vasily Anokhin said.
More than half of the drones were destroyed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions that border Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry said.
Sky News cannot independently verify these reports.
In recent months, Russia and Ukraine have increased their drone attacks.
Last Wednesday, Russia launched its largest aerial attack of the war against Ukraine, with 741 drones and missiles used.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians, something both sides deny.
We’re back with our coverage of the war in Ukraine this morning.
Yesterday, the Kremlin said Donald Trump’s decisions to boost weapons shipments heading to Ukraine was “business”.
It came after the US president said that weapons are already being shipped to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he also said he had not spoken to Vladimir Putin since sanctions against Russia were announced on Monday.
Here are the other key lines from the last 24 hours:
We’ll bring you the latest updates throughout the day.
Thank you for following our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
We’re now pausing our live updates, but we’ll be back in the morning with all the latest.
Before we sign off, here’s a brief rundown of what’s happened today:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has chosen Yulia Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old economist, as his new wartime prime minister.
Svyrydenko, currently the deputy prime minister and economy minister, is the only candidate for the post and is expected to take over in a reshuffled cabinet.
She’ll be tasked with further building up Ukraine’s arms industry and rejuvenating the country’s economy, which has remained buoyant thanks to help from Western lenders.
Svyrydenko is also well known in Washington, having played a role in building ties with the US and serving as one of Kyiv’s main negotiators in a minerals deal with Donald Trump’s administration.
Her nomination will send a signal to the US that Kyiv is prioritising its relationship with the White House, political analyst Mykola Davydiuk told Reuters.
“For us, it’s a partnership that’s not just about money but about values, about joint projects and generally about our common movement forward together,” he said, explaining his view of Zelenskyy’s thinking.
Svyrydenko’s outgoing predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, will likely become the country’s new defence minister, highlighting the importance Kyiv is now placing on its defence industry as its best option in defending itself from Russia’s invasion.
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