On the 1542nd day of war, Ukraine responded to Russia’s bloody attack on Kiev.
During the night, several drones hit two blocks and the refinery in the city of Ryazan, located about 200 kilometers from Moscow. Three people died, and a black smoke cloud covered the sky after the refinery explosions.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Russian attack on Wednesday night on the city of Kiev has risen to 24 people, including three children. Rescue teams continue search and recovery operations at the scene.
Russian forces launched attacks during the night on civilian infrastructure in the regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv. Six people, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured.
The air defense forces shot down 130 drones and a missile in southern, northern, and eastern Ukraine.
Despite the escalation of attacks, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war today.
And the Chief of Defense of Germany, Carsten Breuer, believes that Russia will not stop in Ukraine and could be capable of launching an attack on NATO by 2029 or even earlier.
Ukraine's Response to the Attack on Kiev
- Three Dead in Ryazan - A Ukrainian drone attack resulted in three deaths and 12 injuries in the city of Ryazan, located approximately 200 km southeast of Moscow. Two blocks were hit, announced local governor Pavel Malkov this morning. Social media images show a massive fire at the Ryazan refinery, as reported by Kyiv Independent. Residents reported that a sticky black substance with a distinct fuel smell fell from the sky, as reported by Nexta. The attack followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's declaration on Thursday instructing the Ukrainian army to prepare "possible formats for response" to a Russian missile and drone attack on Kiev.
- Drone Attack in 15 Regions of Russia - The air defense shot down 355 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions and annexed Crimea, announced the Russian Ministry of Defense today, as reported by AFP. Starting from Thursday at 23:00 local time (and Romanian time, ed.), until Friday at 7:00 (Romanian time), "air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 355 Ukrainian aerial drones," targeting mainly the Bryansk and Kursk regions at the border with Ukraine, as well as the Moscow region, specified the ministry in a statement.
ADVERTISING
Russia's Attacks
- Three Children Died in Kiev - The death toll in the Russian attack on Wednesday night on the city of Kiev has risen to 24 people, including three children. Rescue teams continue search and recovery operations at the scene, reported the Ukrainian Emergency Service. 47 people were injured in Kiev, including two children. 30 were rescued, mentioned the source cited by Ukrainska Pravda. "Such a Russia can never be brought back to normal," transmitted Volodymyr Zelensky in a message on Telegram, according to Kyiv Post.
- UN Humanitarian Convoy Hit by Drones - Russian military drones targeted twice on Thursday a United Nations humanitarian convoy clearly marked in southern Ukraine. The attack took place in the Ostriv area of Kherson as the mission was delivering food and solar lamps to civilians, reported Kyiv Post. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the targeted vehicle was transporting Andrea De Domenico, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine, along with eight other agency staff members. "The Russians could not have not known which vehicle they were targeting," wrote Zelensky on Telegram, adding that Russia attacked the vehicle with FPV drones, and the UN team was safely evacuated with no reported injuries.
- 6 Injured in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv - Russian forces launched attacks during the night on civilian infrastructure in the regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv. Six people, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured, announced authorities, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda. Russians attacked a train with a drone in the Zaporizhzhia region, and two passengers were injured, as announced by the state railway company.
- A Missile and 130 Drones Shot Down - Russia attacked Ukraine with six missiles and 141 drones during the night. The air defense shot down 130 drones and a Kh-35 missile in the south, north, and east of the country. Seven drones hit in six locations, reported this morning by the Ukrainian Air Forces.
ADVERTISING
Other Relevant Information
- Prisoner Exchange - Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war today, announced the Russian army, a week after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement on a new prisoner exchange. "At present, Russian military personnel are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they receive necessary psychological and medical assistance," stated the Russian army in a press release.
- Russia Could Attack NATO by 2029 - Carsten Breuer, the Chief of Defense of Germany, believes that Russia could be capable of launching an attack on NATO by 2029 or even earlier. "Various indicators - rearmament, increase in personnel numbers, economic and political changes - all point to a possible date for a Russian attack on NATO: 2029. Could it happen sooner? Yes," he said in a joint interview with his British counterpart, Sir Richard Knighton, to Süddeutsche Zeitung. This is why NATO must be prepared for immediate combat readiness, strengthen its military capacity by 2029, and achieve technological superiority by 2035 and beyond, as highlighted by Breuer. Knighton noted that it is difficult to predict an exact date, but the threat is clearly increasing. "Russia is conducting combat operations in Ukraine, learning along the way and developing new technologies. And Putin has demonstrated his readiness to attack sovereign states. The closer you are to the Russian border, the stronger this is felt," he said.
- IAEA Concerned - The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, expressed on Thursday "deep concern" about the "intensification" of military activities near several Ukrainian nuclear facilities, estimating that this poses "significant risks," reported AFP. "In the last 24 hours, IAEA teams have been informed about a strong increase in activity (...) with over 160 UAVs (drones) recorded near the nuclear facilities," indicated the UN nuclear watchdog in a statement. Grossi called on "all parties to exercise the greatest restraint."
- Drone Threat in Helsinki Ends - Authorities in Finland announced today that the alleged drone activity in the airspace above the Helsinki capital region no longer poses a threat and that the situation is returning to normal. Defense forces had previously mobilized fighter jets and other emergency services in response to alleged drone activity above the Helsinki capital, reported the public television channel Yle. Traffic at Helsinki airport also resumed after a three-hour interruption, according to a statement published on the website.
ADVERTISING