tfl ukraine free travel

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Transport for London offers free travel to Ukrainian refugees

Transport for London ( TfL ) is offering Ukrainian refugees free travel on all of its services.

The offer allows any Ukrainian national free travel on the Tube, bus and other services for up to 48 hours after arriving in the UK.

People will have to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK in order to be eligible.

Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner said the scheme was being introduced to “support those fleeing this terrible conflict”.

He said: “The shocking scenes and stories from the continued war in Ukraine are truly heart-breaking and, along with the Mayor, we want to do what we can to support those fleeing this terrible conflict.

“Along with the Department for Transport and other train operating companies, we are helping Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK reach their final destination by enabling them to travel for free across London using our bus, tram, Tube or rail services so they can get to their hosts as quickly as possible.”

Under the scheme, which is running for three months, Ukrainain evacuees will be offered a single-one way journey from their port of entry to a final destination.

It is part of a nationwide effort starting on March 20, aimed at helping Ukrainian refugees reach their final destination in the UK.

The scheme complements European operators such as the Eurostar who are also taking a similar approach.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the scheme was “hugely welcome”.

“The UK stands with the Ukrainian people and those fleeing Putin’s brutal invasion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of London has announced a “ London stands with Ukraine” peace march taking place on Saturday, March 26.

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Sadiq Khan said the march will “give everyone who wants to show their solidarity a chance to stand together with the people of Ukraine.”

The march will begin from Park Lane at 2pm, with Yoko Ono’s ‘Imagine Peace’ message displayed on Piccadilly Lights.

A vigil will take place later in the afternoon in Trafalgar Square.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

TfL offering free bus and tube travel to Ukrainian refugees for 48 hours

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Ukrainians will not have to pay for transport across London to help them reunite with their loved ones.

Transport for London (TfL) is providing the free travel for up to 48 hours after the refugees arrive in the UK.

All they have to do is show their Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass to get a ride on a Tube, bus or other TfL service.

The goodwill scheme joins a national effort from Network Rail to provide Ukrainians with free train travel. They are both set to last for 12 weeks.

It’s hoped Ukrainian refugees will use the free travel to quickly settle with their extended families already based in the UK.

Bus and coach operators across England are also offering free travel.

Many countries across Europe, including Germany, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands, have been offering free transport to people fleeing the Russian invasion as early as February.

London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, said the TfL scheme will ‘support those fleeing this terrible conflict’.

He said: ‘The shocking scenes and stories from the continued war in Ukraine are truly heart-breaking and, along with the Mayor, we want to do what we can to support those fleeing this terrible conflict.’

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps added it was ‘hugely welcome’.

‘The UK stands with the Ukrainian people and those fleeing Putin’s brutal invasion,’ he said.

Scotland and Wales are also in discussions for providing refugees with the same offer.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

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TfL is offering free bus travel for Ukrainian passport holders

The new scheme is helping Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK

Any local news that helps to mitigate the awful sense that we are not doing enough to help those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine is really welcome at the moment.

With that in mind, there’s an update from Transport for London who has just announced a scheme providing free onward travel for Ukrainian nationals navigating the capital. This is part of a nationally coordinated effort with other UK travel providers such as Network Rail to ensure that tired and probably disorientated refugees can just focus on getting to their final destination rather than having to deal with the arcane complexities of Oyster cards versus cashless on top of their ordeal.

The offer is already up and running with TfL and will stay in place for the next 12 weeks, available to any Ukrainian national for up to 48 hours after they arrive in this country. All that is required to be eligible is a Ukrainian passport and their boarding pass or ticket from the journey into the UK to keep things as simple as possible. The idea is to help to get everyone to be reunited with their loved ones and settled into their new lodgings as quickly as possible. It’s something that various travel networks across Europe put in place back in February, and the idea has mobilised our own transport industry in a rare but significant example of working together to achieve something we can all get behind.

L et’s hope their journey involves some of the swish new bus network that TfL recently unveiled. Spread the word.

How Londoners can help the people of Ukraine

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TfL offers Ukrainian refugees free travel across city including London Underground

UK transport industry is working together to ensure Ukrainian evacuees reach their final destination

• 17:19, 24 MAR 2022

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Transport for London (TfL) will offer Ukrainians escaping the Russian invasion free travel on all its services. Following in the footsteps of Eurostar and Network Rail, TfL is allowing refugees to use its transport links across London for free.

Evacuees will be able to use cross-London travel on bus and tram services, as well as on London Underground , Overground, and DLR. The TfL scheme will allow evacuees from Ukraine to use its services for up to 48 hours after arriving in the UK so they can reach their final destination.

To register for the free travel those arriving from Ukraine will need to present their passport along with a boarding pass or ticket. The free travel will remain in place for three months and forms part of UK efforts to make people fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war feel welcome in Britain.

READ MORE: Kensington resident and Sergei Lavrov's stepdaughter Polina Kovaleva on UK's latest sanctions list

Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said that the scheme was being introduced after seeing the "heartbreaking" situation in Ukraine. He said: “The shocking scenes and stories from the continued war in Ukraine are truly heart-breaking and, along with the mayor [Sadiq Khan], we want to do what we can to support those fleeing this terrible conflict.

“Along with the Department for Transport and other train operating companies, we are helping Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK reach their final destination by enabling them to travel for free across London using our bus, tram, Tube or rail services so they can get to their hosts as quickly as possible.”

Train operators are also working together to provide support to Ukrainian arrivals by offering free onward travel to their final destinations in Britain. The scheme started on Sunday (March 20) and complements offers made by the European railway system to provide safe and free passage for Ukrainians.

Chief executive officer Jac Starr at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We have all been shocked by the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. As an industry we know this is the right thing to do, making sure families affected by this tragedy can be reunited as quickly as possible, and helping others get to safety.

“Similar schemes have been launched on the continent so I am proud that we are standing alongside our European Rail family and doing what we can to help.”

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• Local transport

Transport Secretary extends scheme helping Ukrainian evacuees reach safety in the UK

The onward travel scheme for Ukrainian refugees will be extended for 6 months.

• Ukrainian evacuees arriving in the UK continue to be offered one free journey to reach their final destination
• over 2,900 Ukrainian evacuees have benefitted from the scheme, so far
• this scheme makes the incredibly difficult journey for evacuees fleeing Ukraine, in some part, easier

The Transport Secretary has today (18 December 2022) announced the extension of a travel scheme helping Ukrainian evacuees reach safety in the UK.

For a further 6 months, the free onward travel scheme will continue to grant all Ukrainian evacuees arriving in the UK one free journey either by rail, coach, tube or bus to reach their final destination.

The Department for Transport is working closely with operators to ensure support for Ukrainian arrivals is in place across the country.

The scheme is providing vital support to those who need it the most and today’s extension means passengers will continue to be protected should the situation in Ukraine escalate any further.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

We know, for those who have had to flee their homes in Ukraine and find sanctuary in the UK, this support has been vital, making the difficult journey to safety in some part easier. We will continue to do all we can to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians, and this scheme is an important first gesture on their arrival in our country.

So far, over 2,900 Ukrainian evacuees have used the vital scheme, which has made it easier for Ukrainians fleeing war to reach safety and sanctuary in the UK.

The Transport Secretary is writing to rail, bus and coach operators to thank them for their generosity in facilitating the scheme and for their willingness to continue offering it.

The department has been widely informed by scheme partners that onward travel is a commonly requested area of support for refugees and the free onward travel scheme has made a huge difference for those fleeing Ukraine, following the illegal Russian invasion.

The scheme, which was launched in March 2022, provides Ukrainian arrivals with a single no cost onward public transport journey within 48 hours of arrival at major English entry ports to their final destination in the UK.

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Transport for London offers free travel to Ukrainian refugees

The offer allows any Ukrainian national free travel on the Tube, bus and other services for up to 48 hours after arriving in the UK.

People will have to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK in order to be eligible.

Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner said the scheme was being introduced to “support those fleeing this terrible conflict”.

He said: “The shocking scenes and stories from the continued war in Ukraine are truly heart-breaking and, along with the Mayor, we want to do what we can to support those fleeing this terrible conflict.

“Along with the Department for Transport and other train operating companies, we are helping Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK reach their final destination by enabling them to travel for free across London using our bus, tram, Tube or rail services so they can get to their hosts as quickly as possible.”

Under the scheme, which is running for three months, Ukrainain evacuees will be offered a single-one way journey from their port of entry to a final destination.

It is part of a nationwide effort starting on March 20, aimed at helping Ukrainian refugees reach their final destination in the UK.

The scheme complements European operators such as the Eurostar who are also taking a similar approach.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the scheme was “hugely welcome”.

“The UK stands with the Ukrainian people and those fleeing Putin’s brutal invasion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of London has announced a “London stands with Ukraine” peace march taking place on Saturday, March 26.

Sadiq Khan said the march will “give everyone who wants to show their solidarity a chance to stand together with the people of Ukraine.”

The march will begin from Park Lane at 2pm, with Yoko Ono’s ‘Imagine Peace’ message displayed on Piccadilly Lights.

A vigil will take place later in the afternoon in Trafalgar Square.

Donate here: Please give what you can to the Evening Standard Ukraine appeal

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Welcome to Southwark information for guests from Ukraine

Travel locally, nationally and to the uk, travelling in london.

Map of London's rail and tube services .

Transport for London (TfL) and other UK travel providers are offering Ukrainian refugees free travel for up to 48 hours after arriving in the UK . 

New arrivals will have to show a Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK in order to be eligible.

Find out about other free and discounted travel on the TfL network . 

How to pay for travel around London on the TfL network

To travel around London, you can either use your contactless credit or debit card or buy an Oyster card. This is a smartcard that allows you to travel on public transport. Find out how to get an Oyster card and create an online account .

How to use your Oyster card or contactless card to travel on the TfL network

You will need to touch your Oyster card in at the yellow card reader at the start of your journey and to touch out at the end on the Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London. On buses and trams, you should touch your card on the yellow reader at the start of your journey. You don't need to touch out when you get off.

You can use the Transport for London journey planner to find the quickest and easiest route.  If you have a smartphone, you can use the TfL Go app to plan a journey .

Public transport and driving within the UK 

Get information on travelling within the UK on public transport and driving licenses and motor insurance.

Free travel to and within the UK 

Get information on free travel to the UK from the Ukraine, and free travel within the UK when you've just arrived. 

Page last updated: 01 June 2022

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Travel Information for Ukrainians

Travel can be expensive in the UK; some areas are helping out by giving free bus passes to Ukrainian refugees. Check with your local council to see if they offer such a scheme. Children and older age people can also usually get free or cheap transport.

On this page

Getting to your initial destination on arrival in the uk, booking travel online, getting around in london, free bus travel in wales, coach travel, money-saving railcards.

• ‘Split and save’ train tickets

Pensioners / older people

Travel discounts on universal credit, train and tube service disruptions.

The Government has instructed travel operators to provide free transport for the first 48 hours , in order to enable you to get to your initial destination in the UK (either to your family member or your host). This means you can use any and all means of public transport (such as bus, train, Underground) to get to your destination.

You just need to show your Ukrainian passport and ticket showing date and time of arrival. Note: there does not appear to be an option to pre-book travel online for free.

See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/welcome-points-and-travelling-to-your-sponsor-homes-for-ukraine for more information.

Sometimes, it can be cheaper to pre-book travel online.

Commercially owned websites such as The Trainline allow you to plan your journey between destinations and they also show you options for coaches, not just trains. You can choose to have your tickets emailed to you as e-tickets, or pick them up from the station at ticket collection points before you travel.

Whilst these websites are convenient, they will charge you a small booking fee for their service, whereas you can book directly with the train or coach service provider to save this. So for example, you can search on the public website National Rail for the same train journey, you will be redirected to the website of the train company to book your ticket and you shouldn’t be charged a booking fee.

If you don’t have a debit card yet, buy an Oyster card (Transport for London card) from any local shop and add some money on it. The card itself will cost £5 but you can get this refunded when you no longer need the card. The disadvantage of this is that you need to have enough money on the card to pay for your journeys, so you need to keep ‘topping it up’ by buying more credit in local shops.

You can also use a contactless debit card to pay for travel; this takes the money direct from your bank account so you don’t need to ‘top up’ and is easier to manage.

The system is clever enough to work out what is the right price to charge you so that it doesn’t charge you more for a day’s travel than a travelcard would cost. Always remember to use the same card to ‘touch out’ when you finally exit at the very end of your journey as the one you used to start with, or you may be charged the wrong (highest) fare, as it assumes the worst case scenario to decide what journey you actually made.

You should register your contactless card on the Transport for London website, using this link: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/contactless-and-oyster-account . You can then see all the journeys you have made using that card. If for some reason, you believe you have been charged the wrong fare (maybe you forgot to ‘touch out’ to complete your journey), you can request up to 3 refunds per month. You can register your card even after you have made the journeys, as it will track the last 12 months of journeys.

Buses are cheaper than the Underground tube, which is in turn cheaper than trains. For the Underground, if you need to change lines to get to your final destination, it is ‘one journey’ as long as you do not exit the barriers.

Transport for London have a journey planner which includes buses, Docklands Light Railway and the Underground.

For refugees in Wales, a free bus ticket called the ‘Welcome Ticket’ is available until 24 July 2023, when it will be reviewed again. For more information, please see https://www.traveline.wales/free-bus-travel-scheme-for-refugees-welcome-ticket/ . A large number of bus and coach companies are signed up to this.

National Express provide comfortable coaches that can be significantly cheaper than trains for travel between different cities.

Coachcards are available for young, senior and disabled people, saving you money on standard coach fares.

If you are a young person, disabled, a family, or over 60, and plan to use trains often to travel between different cities, it may be worth buying a railcard. You pay an annual fee for the railcard, and then use it to get a significant discount on what you would normally pay on the train fare, subject to the conditions of the railcard. Thus, overall, if you travel enough, this may work out to be more economical for you. Rememer to carry your railcard with you when you travel, as you may be asked to show it to the ticket inspector.

See the full range of options available and apply here: https://www.railcard.co.uk/ .

‘Split and Save’ train tickets

Sometimes, if you are travelling from one city to another, you can save money by splitting your journey into segments, where the sum of all the individual segments adds up to less than the whole journey.

You don’t need to change trains, but you will have multiple tickets issued. E.g. if you are travelling from A to B, via C, then you may have a ticket from A to C, and then a separate ticket from C to B, on the same train.

See https://support.thetrainline.com/en/support/solutions/articles/78000000442-splitsave for how it works. It’s not available for all journeys, or on all train booking websites, so it’s worth checking a website that offers the option (like https://www.thetrainline.com/ ).

If you are over 60, you can get free or discounted travel, especially on buses. Check what is available in your local area. For example, in London, you can get free travel on the underground and trains after certain times – 60+ London Oyster photocard – Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) You will need a letter from a bank as a proof of address.

If you are on Universal Credit, you can apply for a Jobcentre Plus travel discount card, for 3 to 9 months (or 18 to 24-year-olds) or 3 to 12 months (over 25s).

You can apply for this through your Job Centre Work Coach and local Jobcentre Plus.

Children usually travel for free or discounted rates. For example, in London, children aged 11 to 15 can get a ZIP card which offers free and discounted travel: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/11-15-zip-oyster-photocard

Always check before travelling that there are no disruptions to the timetables. These could be because of:

• Industrial action / strikes by workers (these can be called at relatively short notice, and then also called off, usually just as you’ve rearranged your plans to avoid travelling!)
• Planned engineering works (these usually take place at weekends, and there may be special ‘rail replacement buses’ laid on by the rail operator between the railway stations that the trains would have serviced, but of course, a bus is much slower than a train so you would need to allow more time)
• Unexpected delays (e.g. fatalities on the railway line)

See the following links for information on train and tube services:

• https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/industrial-action/ for planned strikes on the train network
• https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/status-and-disruptions/ for status updates on train networks, including strikes and planned engineering works, as well as any unexpected delays
• https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes for a list of planned strikes on London tube and train networks
• https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/ for live status updates including strikes and planned engineering works on the London transport network, as well as any unexpected delays (usually rare)

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Free London travel for under-18s 'ending by half-term'

• Published 7 August 2020

The government aim to suspend free travel for 11 to 17-year-olds after 28 October

Free travel on London's transport for under-18s will be suspended after the October half-term, according to government plans seen by the BBC.

The plan to temporarily end free travel for 11 to 17-year-olds was a condition Transport for London's (TfL) £1.6bn lockdown bailout.

About 30% of children who currently travel by bus to school would still be eligible for free travel, TfL said.

The Mayor of London called on the government drop the plans.

It is hoped the move will aid social distancing during the COVID-19 recovery, and free travel for under-18s is expected to be re-introduced, though no date has been set.

A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said the policy "will hit the poorest Londoners hardest and place significant administrative and financial burdens on already stretched schools and local authorities".

"Rather than forcing this measure through, the Government should work with TfL to find a better solution that doesn't risk hitting the poorest Londoners hardest".

Free travel for children was suspended under conditions of a £1.6bn bailout deal

In a letter to TfL, Transport Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said the government plans to start the temporary suspension of free travel for 11 to 17-year-olds "immediately after October Half Term".

Half-term runs from Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October this year.

In order to reach this date, Baroness Vere said it is "vital" TfL continue to work "closely and collaboratively" with the Department for Transport.

Under the plans children aged 11-17 who live more than two miles from their school will still be entitled to Oyster cards allowing free travel.

Children with special medical or educational needs will also continue to travel for free.

Deputy Chair of London's Transport Committee Caroline Pidgeon called the proposal "misguided, complex and simply wrong".

Ms Pidgeon said: "The policy of free travel for young people that has existed since 2005 should not be altered.

"The last thing young people and low income households need is to face a further challenge this autumn."

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• Published 6 July 2020

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• Published 28 May 2020

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• Published 22 May 2020

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Latest News

TfW arrival hubs to help Ukrainian nationals

28 jun 2022.

Transport for Wales (TfW) has created arrival hubs at Cardiff and Wrexham railway stations to help Ukrainian nationals.

Canolfannau cyrraedd TrC i helpu gwladolion o Wcráin

Rooms within the railway stations have been refurbished and provide facilities including an area for children. Ukrainians fleeing war can use these facilities when arriving into the city before moving on to Welsh Government welcome centres or to family, friends or sponsors.

The arrival hubs are fully supported by Cardiff Council and Wrexham County Borough Council and donations have been kindly received from the Blackwood Community Sainsburys in Pontllanfraith.

James Price, Transport for Wales CEO said: “At TfW we are doing everything we can to support those seeking refuge and we hope the arrival hubs we’ve created in our major stations in the north and south of Wales will be beneficial to the people needing them.

“They’ll provide a safe and comfortable space for those arriving into Wales.”   

The Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for transport, Lee Waters said: “Wales is proud to be a Nation of Sanctuary and I’m pleased TfW have been able to offer arrival hubs for Ukrainian refugees escaping this terrible conflict, giving them the space to relax and collect their thoughts before moving on to stay with family, friends and sponsors.”

From 17th March 2022 all refugees, not just those fleeing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, have been able to travel for free on TfW rail services.

Ukrainian nationals can claim free travel by showing a Ukrainian passport to conductors and station staff. All other refugees can travel for free on presentation of status documentation. 

Notes to editors

For refugees accessing the free travel scheme, the date of travel must be within six months of the date of the relevant status documentation.

The free travel scheme will initially run for 6 months (until 16 th September 2022).

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: French instructors in Ukraine would be 'legitimate target', Lavrov says on visit to West Africa

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, is on a tour in West Africa as part of a diplomatic push by the isolated Kremlin to forge new ties around the world. Meanwhile, an upcoming summit on Ukraine will reportedly aim to create a pathway for Russian officials to join future talks.

Wednesday 5 June 2024 19:00, UK

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• Ivor Bennett: Why is Lavrov in Africa?
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• Remote-control stretchers on trial in Ukraine
• Big picture:  Everything you need to know about the war right now
• Mapped: The territorial situation on the frontline today
• Your questions answered: Are there any signs of an underground resistance in Russia?
• Live reporting by Guy Birchall

We're pausing our coverage for today but we will be back tomorrow with more updates.

Here is a rundown of the key developments today:

• Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia, according to an unnamed Western source;
• Joe Biden will hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Normandy this week during his visit celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day;
• Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has been visiting countries in Africa as part of an ongoing diplomatic offensive from the Kremlin;
• A former British defence attache has warned Russia's disinformation campaigns are "only going to get worse" as EU parliament elections and the Olympics approach.

You can scroll back through the blog to read all our updates from today.

A 26-year-old man of dual Ukrainian-Russian nationality has been arrested in possession of explosives after some of them detonated in a hotel room north of Paris.

The man was treated by fire-fighters after he "suffered significant burns following an explosion," on Monday, according to a source. 

A source at the French anti-terror prosecutor's office said they had taken charge of the case and opened an investigation on suspicion of a terrorist conspiracy. 

A subsequent search of his room led to the discovery of products and materials intended for the manufacture of explosive devices, the source added. 

France's domestic spy agency DGSI is handling the investigation, Reuters reports. 

Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia in recent days, according to a Western official.

The weapons were used under recently approved guidance from Joe Biden, allowing US arms to be used to strike inside Russia in defence of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city.

The official spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Mr Biden's directive allows for US-supplied weapons to be used to strike Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack.

It does not change US policy that directs Ukraine not to use American-provided tactical or long-range missiles and other munitions to make offensive strikes inside Russia, US officials said.

Ukrainian officials had stepped up calls on the US to allow Kyiv's forces to defend themselves against attacks originating from Russian territory.

Kharkiv is 12 miles from the Russian border and has recently come under intensified Russian attack.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Qatar for talks with the state's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Ukrainian president said on X that he planned to discuss Qatar's participation in a process of returning Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, as well as bilateral economic and security issues.

In March, Ukraine and Russia exchanged six children via Qatari mediation.

Earlier this week, Mr Zelenskyy made a surprise trip to the Philippines to thank the country for agreeing to participate in the upcoming peace summit being held in Switzerland.

A Russian-American man has been sentenced by a St Petersburg court to three-and-a-half years in prison on charges of "rehabilitating Nazism". 

Yuri Malev was arrested in December over social media posts in which he was alleged to have denigrated the Saint George's ribbon, a Russian military symbol of valour. 

One post reportedly contained "obscene language" and another other showed a picture of a corpse wearing the ribbon, captioned: "How to wear the Saint George's ribbon correctly". 

The court in St Petersburg said this showed disrespect for society and insulted the memory of the Great Patriotic War (the Russian name for the Second World War). 

Malev admitted guilt, according to the court. 

He was a graduate of the law faculty of St Petersburg University and had lived in the United States since 1991, according to independent Russian language media.

Baza, a Telegram channel with links to Russian authorities, said Malev was a resident of Brooklyn, New York. 

He reportedly entered Russia by bus from Estonia two weeks before he was arrested. 

Moscow routinely refers to the government in Kyiv as a "Nazi regime", despite Volodymyr Zelenskyy being Jewish.

Ukraine has been allowed to shoot down Moscow's planes over Russian territory with American weapons since the war broke out, the White House has clarified.

Ukraine "can shoot down Russian aeroplanes that pose an impending threat", national security spokesman John Kirby said. 

"And they have. They have since the beginning of the war."

The clarification was given due to confusion over Washington’s recent decision to relax rules on US-supplied weapons striking military targets on Russian soil.

Joe Biden gave authorisation for the strikes on a limited basis to help Kyiv defend itself against Kremlin forces advances towards Kharkiv.

Mr Kirby said he could not confirm reports that Ukraine had used US-supplied weapons on Russian territory for the first time.

He told reporters: "We're just not in a position on a day-to-day basis of knowing exactly what the Ukrainians are firing at what.

"It's certainly at a tactical level. So, I can't confirm that. I can tell you that they understand the guidance that they've been given."

By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent 

Sergei Lavrov's trip to Africa is part of an ongoing diplomatic offensive by the Kremlin, running in parallel to its conflict in Ukraine.

Isolated from the West, Russia is trying to forge new ties and has found fertile ground in Africa.

There have been several coups in recent years that have ushered in anti-Western military juntas.

US troops were kicked out of Niger, for example, while the French had to leave Burkina Faso.

In both cases, Moscow was quick to move in as the new security guarantors, and their efforts clearly don't stop there.

This is the veteran foreign minister Lavrov's ninth visit to the continent since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Kenya, Burundi and South Africa were among his stops last year; this week it's Guinea, Congo and Burkina Faso.

In return for military support, Russia gains an ally - they may not support the war, but they won't criticise it either.

The Kremlin portrays this as the formation of a new world order, free from Western imperialism and hegemony.

But others say Russia are the neo-colonialists, painting this as a blatant attempt to expand their sphere of influence.

Ukraine's first deputy foreign minister has held talks with his Chinese counterpart in an effort to increase cooperation between the two countries, the Ukrainian ministry said. 

Ukraine's Andriy Sybiha also told Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong that he hoped China would participate in a Ukraine-led peace summit later in June. 

Mr Sybiha added that it could be "a good opportunity to make a practical contribution to achieving a just and lasting peace", the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

A report earlier today (see 7.40am post) said that June's peace summit opened doors to "limited talks with Russia" - despite Russian officials not being invited.

Earlier we brought you news that Ukraine said it had shot down 22 of the 27 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight (see 8.04am post). 

Now photographs have emerged of the aftermath of one of the strikes. 

Firefighters work to put out the massive blaze in the Poltava region.

As Russia opens a new front on Ukraine's northeastern border, the war has entered an important phase.

Readers have been sending in their questions to our senior correspondents and military experts for their take on the changing battlefield environment.

Today, Trevor Prew asks:

Are there any signs of an underground Russian resistance operating inside Russia, or can Russians openly criticize Putin, as long as they don't protest on the streets or mention the war.

Russia correspondent Ivor Bennett says:

In a word, no.

There wasn't much opposition to speak of in Russia even before the war, but now there's nothing left whatsoever.

All of Putin's political opponents are either exiled, jailed or dead, as are those with any connections to Alexei Navalny.

Those who dare to speak out are silenced.

At one end, are the long-time critics and opposition activists, like Vladimir Kara-Murza, the dual Russian-British national opposition who is serving a 25-year prison sentence for treason.

But at the other end are ordinary Russians, like the former schoolteacher Nikita Tushkanov sentenced to 5.5 years for comments he made online about Putin.

The crackdown on dissent seemingly knows no bounds and it's created a climate in which those who oppose the war are terrified to speak out.

They do exist - as evidenced by the huge turnout for Navalny's funeral. But that was a unique moment and is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.

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Troops in Ukraine — will the West break its own taboo?

The more Russia bombs Ukraine, the more pressure on the West. Some countries are pushing for allowing Western weapons for attacks inside Russia, others might send instructors. Even a no-fly zone might be on the table.

It felt like a watershed moment. During his state visit to Germany earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron called for Ukraine to be allowed to strike military targets within Russia with Western weapons. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not object and stressed that international law does allow for Ukraine to hit targets on Russian territory.

Prior to this, NATO  Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had also expressed support, along with government representatives from the United Kingdom, Poland, and the Baltic countries. The United States and Germany so far had argued against it, citing fears of escalation.

Calls grow to allow Ukrainian strikes inside Russia

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Western weapons against Russian advance

In European capitals,  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been increasingly pushing to break this taboo. His military appears to be getting weaker , partly because the United States has not delivered weapons for months. In northeastern Ukraine, near the Russian border, Russia is bombing Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on a daily basis.

The Russian army has made several territorial gains and, according to Ukrainian reports, is gathering forces for a potentially larger push. So far, Ukraine has only attacked targets within internationally recognized Russian territory with its own weapons. Western weapons were only used against enemy troops on territories occupied by Russia on the Crimean Peninsula and in eastern Ukraine.

Colonel Lieutenant Yaroslav Matisek of the US Air Force and professor at the US Naval War College believes that Ukraine cannot defend cities like Kharkiv without using Western weapons against Russian targets beyond the Russian border. He told DW that allowing Russia to have a safe haven on its own territory was simply "a poor military strategy."

European instructors in Western Ukraine?

There are more taboos on the line. A presence of troops from several NATO countries in Ukraine is now no longer unthinkable. According to Colonel Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he has signed papers regarding French military instructors. These could "arrive soon" to visit Ukrainian training centers, according to the general on social media on Monday. He spoke of an "ambitious project" and hopes that other partners would follow.

France initially toned down the message: They are in talks, according to media reports from Paris. Macron announced that he will present a plan next week to send instructors.

Sending troops for training to Ukraine is one possible scenario, French foreign policy expert Nicolas Tenzer told DW: "Probably France is ready to do that, I would say as early as possible." The could be sent to locations like Lviv or Kyiv.

If France actually sends instructors to Ukraine, it might not be alone. Poland and the Baltic states also do not rule it out. In February, Macron caused a stir when he was the first Western head of state who did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine. Until then, this was considered a firm red line — both for Moscow and the West.

At the beginning of May, Macron reaffirmed his position. If Russia succeeded in breaking through and Ukraine were to ask for Western troops to come to the rescue, they would have to think consider it, according to Macron. So far though, Zelenskyy has not made such a request.

Instructors to make up for shortage at front

"As Russia advances, NATO considers sending trainers into Ukraine," read a New York Times headline in mid-May. This would allow the government in Kyiv to train urgently needed, newly mobilized soldiers faster than before and to deploy them at the front, according to the newspaper. The main limitation seems to be: no direct combat between Western troops and Russian soldiers.

Matisek considers the dispatch of instructors easily feasible. "I think you can easily put a couple thousand Western forces into Lviv as part of a training contingent," says the military expert. The European Union has already conducted such a training mission within EU countries and could in future conduct such trainings in Ukraine, Matisek suggests.

Poland: First Ukrainian soldiers training on Leopard tanks

He proposes to go even further: Western countries could station troops along the Ukrainian border and inside the country up to the bank of the largest Ukrainian river, the Dnipro, according to Matisek. "I think that it sends a very clear signal to Putin that the West is not going to tolerate further territorial conquest of Ukraine," explains Matisek. "If the Europeans would do that, that would probably free up at least 20 brigades of Ukrainian personnel to move a lot closer to the front."

Many political and defense experts oppose such ideas. Some accuse Macron and his supporters of exposing European dividing lines.

A limited no-fly zone?

If the West were to send troops to Ukraine, this would also mean "more air defense" to protect them, according to Matisek. In Germany, some politicians and experts even advocate that NATO countries shoot down Russian drones and missiles over Western Ukraine from their own territory.

At the beginning of May, members of parliament showed openness to this plan, according to a report by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper. Mentioned were Roderich Kiesewetter from the opposition CDU and representatives of the governing parties — Markus Faber from the FDP, Agnieszka Brugger and Anton Hofreiter from the Greens. The proposal itself comes from Nico Lange, an expert from the Munich Security Conference . Their aim is to protect the sky over Western Ukraine up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) deep, from installations in countries like Poland.

This would effectively be a limited no-fly zone. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is against any involvement of NATO and has criticized such ideas. Scholz has been lobbying for weeks for more deliveries of air defense systems to Ukraine . Berlin recently sent two more - a Patriot and an IRIS-T.

US expert Matisek understands the German restraint towards Russia due to historical reasons. However, he thinks the risk of escalation is acceptable. If the Western engagement remains limited and Russian missiles and drones are only shot down over Ukraine, not over Russia itself or its ally Belarus, then that would be a "near-humanitarian mission," according to Matisek.

Not everyone sees it this way. A limited no-fly zone would likely be particularly difficult to implement, say some observers in the West. So far, no head of state of a NATO country has spoken out in favor of it. Russia has threatened that Western soldiers in Ukraine would become targets of Russian attacks.

Moscow recently conducted troop exercises with tactical nuclear weapons. It justified the move by claiming that Western countries could send soldiers to Ukraine and allow Kyiv to attack Russian territory with their weapons.

This article was originally published in German.

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