German military official says Ukrainian drone strikes significantly damaged Russia's bomber fleet and surveillance aircraft.

Germany has given Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia using long-range weapons supplied by Berlin, in a decision that signals a notable hardening of Western resolve as the war grinds on.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any Western-imposed limitations on their range and targets as the Kyiv government fights to repel Russia's invasion.