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Russia has been warned that it will face more drone attacks – after a Moscow high-rise housing a number of government ministries was hit for the second time in three days. An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted that the Kremlin will soon "collect all of their debts" over the invasion of Ukraine with further strikes on Russian soil. While Ukraine stops short of directly claiming such attacks, of which there have been a flurry in recent weeks, officials often show their satisfaction and seek to undermine Russia in any way they can as Kyiv's forces press on with their counteroffensive. "Moscow is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war," Mr Podolyak wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. He said Russia should expect "more unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war". The building that was hit by the drone is known as the "IQ quarter", which houses the Russian ministry of economic development, the digital ministry and the ministry of industry and trade. While the repeated drone incidents have not caused casualties or major damage, they have provoked widespread unease and are an embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, which is constantly seeking to give the impression to the country's citizens that its invasion – now nearly 18 months long – is proceeding according to Moscow's plan. "In this situation, any place can be hit, so it is quite hard to feel 100% safe... We don't know what will hit us and where," Moscow Alexander Gusev, 67, told Reuters. "Indeed, a threat exists, it is obvious, but measures are being taken," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, declining to comment further. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry claimed to have thwarted what it labelled an "attempted terrorist attack" and downed two drones west of the Moscow city centre. It said another one was foiled by jamming equipment and went "out of control". Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that was the drone that hit the same tower that had been struck on Sunday. "The facade has been damaged on the 21st floor. Glazing was destroyed over 150 square metres," Mr Sobyanin said. Vnukovo airport, one of three major airports serving the capital, briefly shut down but later resumed full operations. Elsewhere, Ukrainian regional officials said a doctor was killed and five medical workers were wounded in Russian shelling of a hospital in the southern city of Kherson. "Today at 11.10am [local time] the enemy launched another attack on the peaceful residents of our community," military administration head Roman Mrochko wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said four medical workers had been wounded in addition to a badly wounded nurse whose injuries were reported earlier. Mr Mrochko said the young doctor had only worked in his job for a few days and that doctors were fighting for the life of the nurse. Meanwhile, Russia also claimed it had stopped attacks by sea drones on its navy ships, plus civilian vessels in the Black Sea. Mr Podolyak later said that such statements were "fictitious" and that "Ukraine has not attacked, is not attacking and will not attack civilian vessels, nor any other civilian objects". Mr Podolyak said nothing of attacks on Russian navy ships, which Ukraine considers legitimate targets given the invasion it is battling. Moscow has said it would treat any ships leaving or entering Ukrainian ports as valid targets after it ended a deal for Ukraine to export its grain through Black Sea last month. Russia has since struck Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure repeatedly. Kyiv has previously used drones to target Russia's navy base in Crimea and the bridge that Russia has built to the peninsula. Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and Kyiv has pledged to recover it along with other territory seized by Moscow since its full-scale invasion began last February. Late on Tuesday, the Moscow-installed governor of the Sevastopol district of Crimea said a drone had been shot down there too. Reuters contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary What would ECOWAS’ threat to use force to restore democracy in Niger look like? Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on BP profits are cut in half to $2.6 billion as oil and natural gas prices fall

A skyscraper in Moscow was the target of a drone attack for the second time in two days, as Volodymyr Zelensky warned Vladimir Putin the "war is returning" to Russia. Russia’s defence ministry claimed its anti-aircraft units downed drones headed for Moscow, but one of them ended up hitting the same high-rise building that was struck last Sunday. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that while the attack damaged the facade of the skyscraper’s 21st floor, it didn’t cause any injuries. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has increasingly highlighted how destroying Russia’s military infrastructure helps Kyiv’s counteroffensive. This comes as a 10-year-old girl and her mother were among at least six people killed after two Russian ballistic missiles struck an apartment complex and a university building in Zelensky’s hometown yesterday. At least 75 people were injured in the attack on Kyryvi Rih, as Zelensky called it an act of Russian “terror”. The head of Zelensky’s office, Andriy Yermak said the “Russian army is barraging Kherson” and targetting residential areas, adding that four people had been killed and 17 injured in the city. Read More Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks UK sanctions Moscow judges after British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza’s appeal rejected Ukraine says Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly restricted his Starlink internet access multiple times in Ukraine, which has affected Kyiv’s battlefield strategy. The world’s richest man denied the Ukrainian military’s request to turn on Starlink near Crimea, the Russian-controlled territory, during the ongoing war with Russia, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The Tesla CEO has been providing Starlink service to Ukraine since late February 2022, just days after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked invasion and a cyberattack took down the country’s internet. SpaceX’s Starlink makes up the majority of satellites orbiting Earth with more than 4,000 of them in the low-Earth orbit. Mr Musk’s unilateral hold over his satellite internet technology, which has been an essential part of Ukraine's communications since the war, has raised concerns among officials, according to the report. In February this year, SpaceX announced it had taken steps to prevent Ukraine's military from using the Starlink satellite internet service for controlling drones in the region. Following the announcement, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said SpaceX needed to pick a side in the war against Russia. Ukrainian authorities worried about over-dependence on a single source technology held talks with other satellite internet providers. But they acknowledged none rival Starlink’s reach. “Starlink is indeed the blood of our entire communication infrastructure now,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, told NYT. The technology, he said, enabled artillery teams, commanders and pilots to watch drone footage simultaneously while chatting online. According to soldiers, the response times from finding a target to hitting it have been cut to about a minute from nearly 20 minutes. “The huge number of lives that Starlink has helped save can be measured in the thousands,” Mr Fedorov added. “This is one of the fundamental components of our success." Mr Musk also asked the US last year to fund for their internet services to Ukraine because they could not continue the arrangement. The company estimated the cost at nearly $400m over 12 months, according to a SpaceX letter reported by CNN. About 1,300 Starlink terminals purchased through a British supplier stopped working last year after the Ukrainian government could not pay the $2,500 monthly fee for each, according to the report. Meanwhile, defence secretary Lloyd Austin in June approved a Pentagon deal to buy 400 to 500 new Starlink terminals and services, that would provide the Pentagon control of the setting where the internet signal worked inside Ukraine for new devices to carry out “key capabilities and certain missions”. The Independent has reached out to Space X for a comment. Read More Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are leaking radiation that harms deep space astronomy, study warns 'X' logo installed atop Twitter building, spurring San Francisco to investigate permit violation Ukraine war – live: Putin’s aide says Russia ‘would be forced’ to go nuclear if Kyiv’s pushback is successful

A skyscraper in Moscow was the target of a drone attack for the second time in two days, as Volodymyr Zelensky warned Vladimir Putin the "war is returning" to Russia. Russia’s defence ministry claimed its anti-aircraft units downed drones headed for Moscow, but one of them ended up hitting the same high-rise building that was struck last Sunday. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that while the attack damaged the facade of the skyscraper’s 21st floor, it didn’t cause any injuries. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, but has increasingly highlighted how destroying Russia’s military infrastructure helps Kyiv’s counteroffensive. This comes as a 10-year-old girl and her mother were among at least six people killed after two Russian ballistic missiles struck an apartment complex and a university building in Zelensky’s hometown yesterday. At least 75 people were injured in the attack on Kyryvi Rih, as Zelensky called it an act of Russian “terror”. The head of Zelensky’s office, Andriy Yermak said the “Russian army is barraging Kherson” and targetting residential areas, adding that four people had been killed and 17 injured in the city. Read More Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks UK sanctions Moscow judges after British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza’s appeal rejected The $3.9 billion UN humanitarian appeal for Ukraine is only 30% funded, UN aid official says Ukraine says Russian missiles hit another apartment building and likely trapped people under rubble

Oil steadied after the biggest monthly advance since early 2022 as signs of a tighter global crude market

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Two popular Spanish beaches were forced to close after “abnormal” levels of bacteria were detected in the water. Urbanova and San Gabriel beaches in Alicante were closed on Friday over the levels of enterococci in the sea, the General Directorate of Water and the Alicante City Council said. Authorities carried out tests in the water before the beaches were reopened on Saturday when bacteria levels in the water returned to a normal level, according to local media reports. Experts are said to have ruled out that the bacteria levels were caused by river discharge or from the treatment plant in the San Gabriel. It comes after the beaches of Medicalia, Puig Val, Old Fishermen’s Quarter and Els Plans were closed on July 22 after a thick, grainy, white substance was found on the shore. Swimmers were also told to avoid the coast of the holiday hotspot resort of El Puig, near Valencia, as authorities struggled to determine what the substance was. Samples have been taken and experts are still working to identify the substance, but the beaches have since reopened. Meanwhile, tourists were urged to stay vigilant on beaches in France and Spain earlier this month due to a surge of toxic algae, which experts warn could cause skin irritation, gastric disorders, nausea, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms. Climate change has led to warmer semi-tropical seas around Europe, causing higher levels of the poisonous Ostreopsis algae, according to Spain’s Institute of Marine Sciences. “The rising water temperature in the Mediterranean will cause the spread of toxic algae Ostreopsis, which will linger for longer and in greater quantities, possibly posing a threat to tourism in the future,” said Dr Elisa Berdalet, from the Institute of Marine Sciences. Read More Scorched beaches in France and Spain face surge in toxic algae caused by warmer climate Spain holidaymakers warned after 48 beaches hit with ‘Black Flag’ due to pollution and dog poo Headless ‘baby’ body found washed up on Spanish beach

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned Russia’s “terror” attacks on his hometown of Kryvyi Rih that left four people, including a 10-year-old child, dead. “Regions of Ukraine are being shelled by the occupiers, who continue to terrorise peaceful cities and people,” Mr Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. There may be people under the rubble. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones because of Russian terror.” The deputy head of Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, Oleksiy Kuleba also confirmed one person had been killed in Kherson, claiming an attack by Moscow. Calling for revenge, Mr Kuleba wrote on the Telegram messaging app: “The enemy is hitting settlements and cities. This is terror due to the despair and defeat of the Russian Federation at the front. This is terror to intimidate and break Ukrainians. Both sides reported casualties on Monday amid heavy fighting, as Ukraine reported it had recaptured nearly 15 square km (5.8 square miles) of land from Russian troops in the east and south over the last week. The Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said that two people had been killed and four injured in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk city, the regional capital. Read More War is returning to Russia, Zelensky warns, as Moscow rocked by drone attacks Russian anti-war activists hold protest after activists face entry, residence problems in Serbia I have a frozen embryo in Russia called Tallulah – the war in Ukraine means it’s trapped there Dramatic moment shows explosion hit Russian administration building in Donetsk

Tributes poured in for 30-year-old French "daredevil" Remi Lucidi who loved to climb skyscrapers – often without a harness. Lucidi was at the Tregunter Tower complex in Hong Kong when he fell to his death from the 68th floor after reportedly getting trapped outside a penthouse. Lucidi began climbing skyscrapers in 2016 and travelled the world attempting to scale tall buildings. His Instagram profile, where he went by the username Remu Enigma, is a gallery of hair-rising images of Lucidi posing at the top of high-rise scaffolding and buildings in several countries, including Ukraine, Dubai, Bulgaria, and France. He turned 30 this February and commemorated the milestone by posting his picture with a cake emoji in the caption. In a photo posted on 16 July, Lucidi took a selfie while hanging off the stairs of the top of a building in Gabrovro, Bulgaria. He captioned the picture: “Life is too short to chase unicorns.” In most of the images and videos posted from his account, which has over 5,200 followers, he can be seen clinging to the spires of tall buildings without any protective gear. Last year he shared footage of him balancing on the edge of a 980-foot-high chimney in France without any harness. Lucidi’s last post on Instagram is from six days before his death, where he shared a photo of Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. That post is now filled with comments of people, expressing shock at his demise. “Stakes are high searching for amazing experiences. Eternal respect rest in peace,” wrote one user. “Lived his life to the fullest always seeking adventure, didn’t let fear get in the way,” added another person. “Life is truly short, rest easy brother... .” While not much is known about Lucidi's family, his hostel owner in Tsim Sha Tsui described him as a "healthy and fit and happy-faced" person. "He told me he was going to hike a mountain when I asked where he was going. He said he wanted to hike a lot when he was here," Gurjit Kaur told South China Morning Post. “I feel very sad,” the owner added. According to investigators, Lucidi arrived at the building in the evening and told the security guard that he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor. He is believed to have made his way to the top floor and reportedly got trapped outside and frantically started knocking on a window, startling a maid inside. Surveillance footage shows Lucidi taking the lift to the 49th floor before taking the stairs to the top. He was last seen knocking on the building's windows calling for help. The stuntman then lost his footing and fell, dying instantly. According to reports, the French consulate has been informed of Lucidi’s death while the Hong Kong police are investigating the incident. Read More Remi Lucidi death: French daredevil known for skyscraper stunts plummets to death from 68th floor Skepticism prevails as Chinese leaders promise to back private businesses to spur slowing economy Hong Kong court rejects government bid to ban protest song citing freedom of expression Stock market today: European shares open mixed after Asia rallies on hopes for Chinese stimulus Live: Fans gather inside funeral hall to mourn singer-songwriter Coco Lee Fans pay tribute to Coco Lee, Hong Kong singer who had international success

Denmark will explore possible legal grounds to block public burnings of the Koran as the Nordic country tries

A British mother is among the victims of a fatal crash in France on Sunday, authorities have said. The collision took place on the A26 motorway, south of Lens in northern France. At least three people lost their lives in the crash which involved 17 people, including eight children. Three cars were involved in the accident and over 65 firefighters attended the scene. The British mother, aged 40, was in a van with six members of her family. She died instantly. In the second car, a 75-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man died and could not be resuscitated, according to Le Sud Ouest. Two other passengers, a 14-year-old boy and a 79-year-old man, were transported by helicopter to the Lille University Hospital and the Arras hospital center. Four passengers were in the third car, including three children. They were slightly injured in the crash but were not taken to hospital. An emergency services spokesperson said: “Three people are dead and dozens injured, including many children. A van with a British family of seven people on board was one of the three vehicles involved in the crash. “A 40-year-old British woman died instantly, along with two others travelling in another vehicle. The other passengers – aged between six and 48 – were taken to hospital in Cambrai and Arras.” More to follow... Read More West African nations threaten to use force if Niger's president isn't reinstated within a week Europe's economy shows modest growth after months of stagnation as rate hikes weigh on businesses As regional and global powers decry Niger's coup, the country's future remains uncertain