Missile & drone war is intensifying but Kyiv's air defense is stalling

 

Russian authorities say Ukrainian drones killed five people overnight, including a child. In Ukraine, authorities reported two people killed and dozens injured in Russian missile attacks. On a visit to Serbia, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy warns that Moscow is preparing a new mass mobilization.

Explosive drone found near Ukrainian cargo plane at German airport

German authorities are investigating after an explosive drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The incident led to runway closures, flight diversions, and the deployment of bomb disposal experts, while counter-terrorism investigators work to determine who was behind it and whether the device was intended to detonate. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt describes the drone incident at Leipzig airport as a "hybrid attack scenario."

 

Russia claims capture of two Ukrainian towns

Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin is claiming new territorial gains in eastern Ukraine. Moscow appears to be increasing pressure - but are those claims true?

How has the war in Ukraine divided Western countries?

The US is pushing for a quick end to Russia’s war as Europeans are increasing their military aid to Kyiv.

US efforts to secure Russian agreement to a ceasefire in Ukraine appear no closer to yielding results after US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s third visit to Russia.

How limited outcome of call with Trump reflects Putin’s negotiation strategy

 

The White House says Russia has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine. This follows a lengthy phone call between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Washington has described the call as a first step towards a wider truce. Talks are set to continue 'immediately' in the Middle East. But the outcome falls far short of the general ceasefire agreed to by Ukraine last week. The Kremlin says Putin raised several 'significant points' during the call, including a request to end foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine.

Trump will, with no authority hand Ukraine to Russia in the wild belief it will get him the Nobel Peace Prize. It won't.

European leaders pressure Russia and the UK: Putin’s response to the ceasefire is insufficient

America And Russia Explore Ways To Carve Up Ukraine

Here's the actual headline:

US and Russia agree to explore mutual opportunities of end to Ukraine war

US and Russian officials agreed to explore the “economic and investment opportunities” that could arise for their countries from an end to the war in Ukraine after talks in Saudi Arabia that amounted to a tectonic shift in Washington’s approach to Moscow.

The statements from the two sides came amid concerns in Kyiv and across Europe that Donald Trump could push for a peace settlement that favours Vladimir Putin. No Ukrainian or European officials were present at the meeting.

After the talks at Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, the most extensive negotiations between the two countries in three years, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said agreement had been made to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks and to explore “opportunities which will emerge from a successful end to the conflict in Ukraine”.

In February of 2020 the U.S. and the Taliban agreed to a peace deal that would end the war there after almost 20 years. Unfortunately the Afghan government at the times was excluded from these talks. The deal allowed for the complete withdrawal of American forces within an eighteen month times frame. It also secured the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters one of whom would become the countries leader.   

Will Trump sell out Ukraine like he did Afghanistan?

Here's your answer

In a meeting in Kyiv last week with Zelensky, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent floated a proposal that Ukraine hand over 50 percent of its mineral resources, according to officials familiar with the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about the sensitive issue.

The details of the White House’s original request, including a list of the resources and the nature of the rights requested, have not been made public. According to one Ukrainian adviser, the U.S. proposal focused on securing access to Ukrainian deposits of rare metals and critical materials, including lithium, graphite and uranium.

Those minerals are used to make among other things electric car batteries. Who would be interested in this deal. Elon Musk of course. 

Russia's Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rubio discuss Russia's war in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in the Saudi capital for high-level talks aimed at negotiating an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Lavrov arrived in Riyadh with Russia's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov and he is due to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - who is already in Saudi Arabia. He is establishing the framework for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin. The top diplomats will also discuss restoring ties between Washington and Moscow.

Kyiv under pressure to lower conscription age | DW News

It's nearly three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, and the Ukrainian armed forces are struggling to recruit enough troops. Kyiv is under pressure from the United States to lower the mobilization age from 25 to 18. It’s an unpopular prospect, pushing some young men and their families to make tough choices.

1000 days of war and the toll on Ukraine’s media

President Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to fire US missiles into Russia has brought the world’s two leading nuclear powers to a head. Western media overlooks the broader implications of this move. Inside Ukraine, journalists face the dual threats of restricted press freedoms and Russian aggression.

Can Ukraine stop the flood of soldiers deserting the frontlines? | DW News

Ukraine is struggling to fill its ranks on the eastern frontline, in part because of a sharp increase in the number of desertions - more than 30.000 this year alone. This has prompted the government to decriminalise the offence for first-time offenders, allowing them to avoid jail if they return to duty.

Putin warns that Russia could use nuclear weapons

UN nuclear watchdog: Safety of Ukraine's Russian-occupied nuclear plant at risk

The UN's nuclear watchdog has warned that safety at Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is deteriorating after a nearby drone strike. The International Atomic Energy Agency's team on-site in Zaporizhzhia has reported intense military activity over the past week, very close to the facility.

Ukraine pushing further into Russia, says Zelensky | BBC News

Ukraine is continuing to push further into Russia's Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Ukraine's operation into Russian territory is now in its second week - its deepest and most significant incursion into the country since Moscow's full-scale invasion began.

Zelenskyy acknowledges Ukrainian troops have entered Kursk, Russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged his troops have launched an incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk. Moscow has declared a state of emergency and is rushing to reinforce the area. Hundreds of Ukrainian troops poured over the border on Tuesday -- the biggest Ukrainian advance into Russia during the war so far.

Ukraine’s Kursk incursion shows Russia’s weakness | DW News

The Kremlin says a state of emergency is in effect in Russia's southwest Kursk region -- where, for the past three days, Ukrainian forces have carried out one of the biggest cross-border incursions since the war began. Moscow says at least one thousand Ukrainian troops entered Russian territory on Tuesday. Russian forces have reportedly blocked them from advancing deeper. Officials in Kursk say around THREE-thousand civilians have been evacuated.

How Ukrainian doctors keep chronically sick kids alive after Russia bombed their hospital

A Russian rocket attack on Ukraine's largest children’s hospital last week destroyed most of the complex, killing at least two people and injuring dozens more. The strike last week also put sick children into greater danger and interrupted vital treatment.

Ukraine starts EU membership talks in midst of war

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the start of talks on his country accession to the European Union. He says Europe cannot be complete without Ukraine as a member. Kyiv will not be able to join the bloc until after the war with Russia is over - and the talks are expected to last for many years.

NATO operation for Ukraine to be located in Germany

NATO defense ministers have agreed that the alliance will take more of a role in coordinating military aid to Ukraine. The decision follows a meeting of the transatlantic alliance at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Missing Ukrainian children on Russian adoption sites? |

Ukraine says more than 20,000 children have been taken since the start of the war. According to an investigation by the Financial Times at least four children - listed as missing in Ukrainian databases - have been seen on Russian adoption sites. US authorities are calling the news 'despicable.' The children are believed to have been taken during the initial months of Russia's full-scale invasion. Their names and ages have reportedly been changed. Last year the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin in connection with the mass abduction of Ukrainian children.