On day 1,562 of the war, Russia and Ukraine once again target each other’s objectives far from the front line.
Moscow launched nearly 300 drones and a ballistic missile last night on Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian Air Forces claim to have neutralized 264 unmanned aircraft, but strikes have been confirmed in 11 areas.
The most severe consequences were recorded in the Donetsk and Kherson regions. In Donetsk, Russian attacks killed five civilians and injured another 11, while in Kherson, the toll reached six dead and 26 injured.
A critical infrastructure target in the Odesa region was damaged, and near Kiev, a drone caused a fire at an industrial unit and injured a person.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues attacks deep into Russian territory. Following strikes on the oil terminal and naval base in Kronstadt near St. Petersburg, authorities in Crimea reported three dead and seven injured in a Ukrainian attack on Simferopol. Volodymyr Zelensky justified the operations as a direct response to Russian bombings.
The new strikes have prompted a reaction in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the risk of escalation is higher than two years ago and acknowledged that peace negotiations are at an impasse. At the same time, the House of Representatives took a significant step towards approving a new $8 billion military assistance package for Ukraine.
Politically, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar offered to host potential Russo-Ukrainian peace negotiations and requested solid international guarantees for Ukraine’s security post-war.
In European affairs, the focus is increasingly on technology. The Kiel Institute shows that drones have become the main area funded through European military aid. In the first four months of the year, European states directed €1.55 billion towards the production and acquisition of drones for Ukraine.
However, Kiev goes even further. The Ukrainian army is extensively developing ground robots for transportation, reconnaissance, and combat, with the declared goal of replacing about a third of frontline soldiers by 2027.
Simultaneously, the EU is preparing new sanctions against Chinese companies suspected of supplying components for Russian drones, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asserts that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure cause „panic” in the Kremlin.
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