DIRECT. War in Ukraine: Zelensky vows ‘retaliation’ to Russia, announces test of new ‘faster and more powerful’ drone

Zelensky attends Ukrainian independence celebrations alongside Polish and Lithuanian heads of state

Volodymyr Zelensky attended the official independence celebrations at Hagia Sophia Square in Kyiv, along with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, two big supporters of his country. He confirmed on this occasion that the Ukrainian forces had successfully tested a new “missile drone”, “Palanytsia”, “much faster and more powerful” than the drones they currently have.

Putin talks to his general staff about the Ukrainian campaign in the Kursk region

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin met with Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov. According to the Kremlin, they discussed “the fight against enemy forces invading the Kursk region and measures taken to destroy them.” These expressions contrast with previous statements which tended to minimize the Ukrainian operation.

Zelensky promises “retaliation” to Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised Russia “retaliation” for its invasion of Ukraine this Saturday, the day his country celebrates its independence from the Soviet Union. Russia wanted to “destroy us,” but the war “came home,” Volodymyr Zelensky told his compatriots in a video shot in a forested area of ​​the border region of Sumy, from where Kiev launched its surprise offensive into Russia. Kiev “surprises once again”, the Ukrainian president confirmed, promising that Russia “will know what retaliation is”.

Ukraine claims to have hit ammunition depots in Russia’s Voronezh region

Ukraine announces that it has carried out an attack on an ammunition depot in the Voronezh region of western Russia. successfully hit an ammunition depot near Ostrogosk in the Voronezh region of Russia,” the Ukrainian intelligence service said.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 230 prisoners of war

Russia and Ukraine announced on Saturday that they had completed an exchange of 230 prisoners of war from both sides, involving Russian conscripts captured during the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk border region. “At the end of the negotiation process, 115 Russian soldiers captured in the Kursk region were returned from the area controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 115 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

Exchange of prisoners between Kiev and Moscow: the Emirates played mediators

The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday that it had brokered a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia after allowing the release of 230 prisoners, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The United Arab Emirates has successfully negotiated a new prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in the release of 230 prisoners,” the statement said. Russia, for its part, announced that it had completed an exchange with Ukraine of 115 prisoners from each camp.

5 killed in Russian attack on Kostyantynivka, near the Eastern Front

Five people were killed and five others injured on Saturday in a Russian bomb attack on the industrial town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said. “As a result of this enemy attack, five residents – three men and two women – suffered fatal injuries,” he said in a statement.

Volodymyr Zelensky promulgates law banning the Orthodox Church associated with Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday the law banning the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the official text of which was published on the Parliament’s website. The law, condemned by Russia, was announced on Ukraine’s independence day from the Soviet Union and two and a half years after Russia began its invasion of the country.

War is ‘back’ in Russia, says Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine’s Independence Day speech

War is “back” in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech broadcast on Saturday, adding that Moscow, which attacked his country in 2022, “will know what retaliation is.” Russia wanted to “destroy us” but the war “came home”, he said in a video on Ukraine’s Independence Day, which he said was shot in the border area from where Kiev launched its surprise incursion into Russia.

Ukraine celebrates its independence today

“Celebration” day in Ukraine despite the war that has lasted for two and a half years. The country celebrates its independence. The date corresponds to the adoption of the law declaring the country’s independence on August 24, 1991, thanks to which Ukraine broke away from the USSR. To celebrate this day, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his compatriots in a 2-minute video.

Fighting intensifies near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine

Forty-four of the 149 battles recorded by the Ukrainian army on Friday took place around the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily bulletin on Saturday morning. Russian soldiers continue to advance on this key city in the region.

What we know about the talks between Russians and Ukrainians

With Qatar acting as a mediator, secret negotiations were underway between Russia and Ukraine for a ceasefire to end strikes on energy and electricity infrastructure on both sides. The Ukrainian soldiers’ entry into Russian territory stopped the discussions.

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War in Ukraine: what we know about secret talks between Russians and Ukrainians

Russia claims to have destroyed 7 Ukrainian drones last night

The Russian Defense Ministry states on its Telegram channel that the Russian army destroyed seven Ukrainian drones in the Voronezh, Belgorod and Bryansk regions overnight. Falling debris caused “a fire and a detonation of explosive objects,” the governor of the Voronezh region said. 200 people had to be evacuated. 2 people were injured.

The head of EU diplomacy considers the reduction in German military aid to Ukraine “very worrying”

The head of European Union (EU) diplomacy, Josep Borrell, described on Friday as “very worrying” and “bad news” Berlin’s decision to halve its military aid to Ukraine next year. Josep Borrell, who attended a conference in Santander (northern Spain) and spoke in English, emphasized that “in absolute terms, Germany is doing a lot” to help Ukraine resist the invasion of Russia, and that “for the moment” , what the EU is doing in this area “mainly done by Germany”. Therefore, Berlin’s upcoming cut in aid to Kiev is “very worrying”, he said. “This is bad news.”

Russian journalist stripped of accreditation for Paris Paralympics

A journalist from the Russian news agency RIA Novosti was denied accreditation to the Paralympic Games in Paris for security reasons, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday. “Any person requesting accreditation as part of the Paris 2024 Games is subject to an administrative security investigation,” ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine explained. “At the end of this procedure, it was decided not to grant this journalist accreditation.”

In Kiev, Indian PM says he is “resolutely in favor of peace”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine on Friday during a visit to Kiev, described as “very symbolic and historic” by his host, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The visit by Narendra Modi, whose country has traditionally enjoyed excellent relations with Moscow, comes at a time when a diplomatic solution appears difficult between Russia and Ukraine, two and a half years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Sitting alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, the Indian prime minister explained that he was “resolutely in favor of peace” between the two belligerents.

New US sanctions against Russia

The United States announced a new set of sanctions targeting 400 entities and individuals in Russia, Belarus and other countries, including about sixty defense technology companies whose “products and services enable Russia to support its war effort” in Ukraine. The sanctions specifically target technology companies involved in “supporting and developing the Russian defense industry,” especially those involved in the development and modernization of its arsenal, but also “automation, robotics, online surveillance, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence (AI),” according to Deputy Finance Minister Wally Adeyemo, is also targeting companies involved in the financial sector and providing software and technology solutions to the country’s banks. Finally, it is a matter of further limiting Russian access to strategic minerals and the mining sector, especially for iron, steel and coal.

Volodymyr Zelensky calls Joe Biden to thank him

During a phone call, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his counterpart Joe Biden for these new deliveries and said about cities, our society and our critical infrastructure.

New US military aid to Ukraine

The United States announced that a new military aid package has been sent to Ukraine. These new deliveries of military equipment, taken directly from the warehouses of the US Army, include in particular equipment and missiles to shoot down attack drones to “protect Ukraine’s essential infrastructure”, Joe Biden said in a press release. They also include ammunition for Himar rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, artillery shells, ambulances and medical equipment, the US State Department said in a statement. The total amount of the envelope is estimated by the Pentagon at $125 million.

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