Drone Assault from Ukraine Hits Caucasus Airbase at 10:57
Based on Russian sources, a Ukrainian drone has entered the Republic of North Ossetia in the Caucasus. The leader of the region says it was aimed at a military airbase. This marks the first time a Ukrainian drone has reached North Ossetia, over 300 km from the front line. The base launches fighter jets for assaults on Ukraine, using glide bombs. The Ukrainians are aiming to damage Russian infrastructure to disrupt logistics and provision chains.
10:20 Battle at Pokrovsk: A Ukrainian brigade is fending off three Russian brigades, says the Ukrainian military. The conflict is intense at Pokrovsk. The region is located west of the recently captured Ocheretyne. "The enemy is pushing hard into our territory," the report adds. "Using large troop reserves, the Russians are quickly compensating for their massive casualties and keep throwing fresh troops into the fray. The battle never ceases."
09:48 Moscow indicates Ukrainian drone attacks across Russia's border regions. Per the Russian Defense Ministry, 25 drones were reportedly downed Saturday night in Rostov, Bryansk, and Belgorod. The annexed Crimean Peninsula was another target of the assaults.
09:12 Kavita Sharma reports from Ukraine that Russian forces are endeavoring to create a wedge between Ukrainian combat positions in the Donetsk region.
08:55 The Ukrainian General Staff records 1,210 Russian casualties in the past 24 hours, with over 517,000 overall since Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainians also destroyed nine Russian tanks, 36 armored vehicles, a multiple rocket launcher, and seven air defense systems, according to their stats.
08:31 Ukraine alleges Russia planning a 15 million-euro advertising campaign targeting Ukraine's military leadership. The Ukrainian Military Intel Service warns about propagandist content in Ukrainian and Western media, with the goal of intensifying public discord in Ukraine.
07:48 German security authorities see the security situation before the upcoming Euro Cup as "tense." With Russia's war against Ukraine, there's a danger of devastating cyberattacks, especially at stadiums and event venues. Defending against drone attacks is considered especially demanding. There have also been drone sightings above Bundeswehr facilities where Ukrainian troops trained on German equipment. The risk of Islamic terror attacks at any of the 51 matches or main fan gatherings is another threat. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is planning a high police presence at stadiums and fan zones, calling it a "strong statement."
07:27 Ukrainian media report explosions in Crimea at night. Sky coverage from the Kyiv Independent documents bustling noises in Sewastopol on the occupied Crimean Peninsula overnight, citing telegram channel Crimean Wind. At 01:39 local time, Balaklava residents, a Sewastopol settlement, purportedly heard explosions. A crimean Wind report states the first explosion was near a power plant, and residents heard weapons fire beforehand, potentially signifying a drone assault. A second explosion reportedly occurred near Sewastopol harbor. The Kyiv Independent is yet to confirm the reports. The Ukrainians have been trying to disrupt Russian supply routes to the front by attacking infrastructure.
06:54 The Ukrainian Air Force praises France's probable gift of Mirage combat jets as modern and versatile. They can handle multiple battle tasks, a spokesperson for the Air Force notes. However, F-16 fighters top Ukraine's wish list. Ukraine is waiting for F-16 pilot training to complete before using Mirage jets. Training is expected to take about six months. Securing Western jets' safekeeping will also be a challenge due to continuous Russian air raids. The French Mirage, a 1970s French design, was once the primary combat aircraft in the French army.
Eight more settlements in the border area of Sumy region, Ukraine, are being evacuated due to ongoing Russian attacks. The governor of the region made this announcement on state TV. In the past 24 hours, over 50 explosions have been reported from Sumy. At the start of the week, three people were killed and three others injured by Russian artillery, mortars, and kamikaze drones. This brings the number of civilians killed in the region this year to 50. All victims were killed by attacks involving artillery, mortars, and kamikaze drones.
In other news, France is selling a second air defense system to Ukraine. After delivering the first air defense system in 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense will acquire a second system from the French arms manufacturer Thales. Air defense is a major issue in Ukraine as there are not enough defense weapons available to protect the troops at the front or the major cities.
Germany is reportedly considering sending another Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. This would be the fourth system handed over by Germany. This comes at a time when Germany has relaxed the rules for using Patriots against Russian aircraft in Russian airspace. With Patriots, Ukraine could potentially shoot down Russian aircraft targeting the region of Kharkiv with rockets or glide bombs.
In response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusations of his illegitimacy, President Zelensky responded by claiming that only Putin recognizes him as legitimate, while the Ukrainian people elect their own leaders. "The Ukrainian people are the only ones who can recognize the legitimacy of President Selenskyj," he said.
Next week, Germany will be hosting a Ukraine reconstruction conference to provide a long-term perspective beyond just military aid. The focus will be on opportunities for civil society, the economy, municipalities, and regions. German officials hope this conference will help Ukraine secure opportunities in various sectors.
In Kherson, the Russian occupation administration claims 22 people were killed in a village due to Ukrainian shelling. According to Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed administrator for the region, a village store full of people was hit in the village of Sadowe, leaving 15 injured. They blamed Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine for these casualties. Independent confirmation of this incident is unavailable.
French President Macron has called for the start of EU membership negotiations with Ukraine "by the end of the month." Macron believes "France supports Ukraine in all areas, including at the European level, where we are trying to achieve a real start of membership negotiations by the end of the month," while Zelensky says there are decisions regarding Ukraine's EU integration that are almost reached. Previously, the EU Commission had announced that it considered the conditions for the start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova to be met, but Hungary is reportedly slowing down the process.
According to a recent survey from the KIIS Institute, support for Ukrainian President Zelensky has reached a record low, although he still has the trust of more than half of the population. Approval ratings for Zelensky have been constantly declining throughout the war, which has been going on for over two years. Zelensky's presidency was initially scheduled to end in May, but he kept his position under martial law with no elections in sight due to around 20% of the country being taken by Russia and millions of Ukrainians being forced to flee.
Finally, the United States has rejected Macron's proposal to participate in the reconstruction conference next week. It's unclear why the United States is choosing not to be present, but the conference will still take place with the support of German and Ukrainian officials.
The US won't be sending military trainers to Ukraine as per French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal. John Kirby, the communication director of the National Security Council, mentioned this during a visit by US President Joe Biden to France. Although Biden shows respect for Macron's stance, he has consistently stated that he won't deploy American soldiers in Ukraine. According to Kirby, this position remains firm, "It's been like that till now, and that's how it'll be moving forward." Additionally, Biden has emphasized several times since the start of the Ukraine war that he's against both a third world war and a conflict with Russia.
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The attack on Ukraine has also extended to cyberwar, as Ukraine alleges Russia planning a 15 million-euro advertising campaign targeting Ukraine's military leadership with propagandist content in Ukrainian and Western media.
The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in a significant number of Russian military casualties, with the Ukrainian General Staff recording 1,210 Russian casualties in the past 24 hours alone, and over 517,000 overall since Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusations of his illegitimacy by claiming that only Putin recognizes him as legitimate, while the Ukrainian people elect their own leaders.
The German government is reportedly considering sending another Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine, which could potentially help Ukraine defend against Russian air raids and protect major cities like Kharkiv.
