Day 1056 of the war began with a massive attack on Russia. Monday night to Tuesday, hundreds of drones, as well as ATACMS missiles, were launched at several Russian regions, marking the largest attack by Ukraine this year. The Russian defense reportedly shot down at least 200 drones.
On the other hand, Russia launched 80 drones last night at 11 Ukrainian regions, but the air defense shot down most of the targets. The debris from destroyed drones caused damage, but no casualties were reported.
Additionally, the Russian army bombed the Nikopol district last night with Grad multiple rocket launch systems and heavy artillery, as well as a drone. Three people were injured.
Moreover, President Volodymyr Zelensky informed that he had a long and detailed discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron about support for Ukraine and a "potential" deployment of foreign military contingents in the country, an idea considered by Kiev's allies in recent months amid speculation about possible future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Ten countries in the European Union, including Romania, are calling for the European bloc to ban imports of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, as the EU prepares the 16th package of sanctions targeting Russia's economy.
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And Joe Biden said in a speech presenting his foreign policy record that Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his military objectives following the invasion in February 2022. "The reality is that, since the beginning of the war, I have been the one who reached the center of Kyiv, not him," said the American president.
What's happening on the front
- Drone Attack - Russia launched 80 drones at Ukraine last night. The air defense shot down 58 in 11 regions, while another 21 disappeared from radar. The debris from destroyed drones caused damage in the Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions. Several houses, buildings, cars, and civilian properties were damaged, but initial reports do not indicate casualties, as communicated by the Ukrainian Air Force.
- Bombardment in Nikopol - The Russian army bombarded the Nikopol district last night with Grad multiple rocket launch systems and heavy artillery, as well as a drone. A 61-year-old man, an 87-year-old woman, and a 14-year-old girl were injured. Their condition is moderate, announced Serhii Lisak, the head of the regional military administration. Additionally, infrastructure was damaged, said the official quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.
- Deadly Attack in Sumy - A Russian drone attacked a civilian vehicle on Monday in the Velika Pisarivka district of the Sumy region, causing the death of a woman and injuring a man, according to a briefing from the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office, cited by Ukrinform. The victims of the attack are a 65-year-old man and his 54-year-old wife. The woman died from her injuries while being transported to the hospital. Authorities have opened a preliminary investigation into this attack, classified as a war crime. According to Ukrinform, another Russian drone attack took place in the village of Rozliv, in the Kherson region, where two people were injured.
- Russians Prepare to Surround Pokrovsk - The Russians plan to cut off the land supply routes to Pokrovsk and Mironohrad in the Donetsk region to force Ukrainian forces to withdraw from these cities, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). American analysts note that the Russian advance east and west of Pokrovsk could complicate logistics and hinder the Ukrainian forces' ability to resupply and redeploy troops. This development could significantly worsen the situation for Ukrainian forces, forcing them to retreat north, allowing Russian troops to encircle Pokrovsk and Mironohrad. Additionally, the Russians could advance towards the administrative border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The Russian military command likely aims to avoid frontal assaults in the urban areas of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad with large infantry forces. Blocking these towns increases the possibility of Ukrainian forces retreating, allowing the Russians to capture these settlements without engaging in heavy urban fighting, notes ISW.
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What's Happening in Russia
- Massive Attack on Russia - Russia was attacked Monday night to Tuesday with hundreds of drones and ATACMS missiles, reports Reuters, citing the Shot channel on Telegram. The source cited claims it is the most massive attack on Russia this year, with over 200 drones shot down by Russian air defense. "There was a massive attack on Russian territory," wrote Russian war blogger Two Majors. Among the targets was once again the city of Engels, where there is a base with nuclear bombers. The region's governor reported that an industrial platform was hit, and school classes will be held online on Tuesday. Additionally, the Tula region was targeted in the attack, with Russian systems shooting down 16 drones. A fire was reported in a suburb of Kazan. And in the Rostov region, air defense destroyed 14 Ukrainian drones, with attacks also reported in the Tambov and Voronezh regions.
Other Relevant Information
- What Zelensky Discussed with Macron - Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he discussed with Emmanuel Macron about support for Ukraine and a "potential" deployment of foreign military contingents in this country, an idea evoked by Kiev's allies in recent months, according to AFP. "The conversation was quite long and detailed," Zelensky said in his daily speech broadcast on social networks. According to him, the two leaders discussed "investments in acquiring shells for Ukraine," deploying partner contingents, and preparing the Ukrainian army. The idea of deploying European troops in Ukraine has been mentioned several times in recent months amid speculation about possible future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. This contingent is expected to be deployed to ensure the maintenance of a hypothetical ceasefire agreement, requested by Donald Trump.
- Surprise Visit to Kiev - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev on Tuesday, where he will hold discussions with Ukrainian officials, as reported by Deutsche Welle. His visit was not announced. Pistorius stated that he wants to discuss additional support for Ukraine and understand the situation on the front lines.
- Romania Calls for Sanctions Against Russian Gas and LNG - Ten countries in the European Union, including Romania, are urging the European bloc to ban imports of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, as seen in a document reviewed by Reuters, as Europe debates new sanctions against Moscow due to the war in Ukraine. The EU is preparing the 16th package of sanctions targeting Russia's economy. The 10 countries - Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ireland - want Europe to go further and also sanction more of Russia's fuel exports to reduce the revenues that fuel the war. The EU has already sanctioned maritime imports of oil from Russia, but has not yet banned gas imports from Moscow, as some EU countries continue to rely on them. The 10 countries also argue that Russian LNG-carrying tankers should be banned from docking within the EU.
- Putin Has Not Achieved Any Major Objectives - American President Joe Biden stated on Monday, a week before handing over power to Donald Trump, in a speech presenting his foreign policy record. He assured that Putin had "failed" to achieve his military objectives after the invasion in February 2022. "We cannot abandon Ukraine," Biden urged both the United States and their allies. "When Putin launched the invasion, he believed he could take Kyiv in a few days. The reality is that, since the beginning of the war, I have been the one who reached the center of Kyiv, not him," said the American president, the leader of Western support for Ukraine, referring to his visit to the war-torn country in 2023.
- Russian Prime Minister in Vietnam - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin began a two-day visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday, an old ally hoping to strengthen ties with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine, reports AFP. Mishustin is scheduled to meet on Tuesday with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) To Lam, considered the most influential person in the country, as well as with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. On the agenda of discussions, "important cooperation projects in the energy and industry sectors (…), creating momentum to promote relations between Vietnam and Russia," according to the Vietnamese government publication, Bao Dien Tu Chinh Phu. Vietnam could also conclude an agreement with Russia on nuclear energy, as this country with 100 million inhabitants seeks to meet its growing energy needs.
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