
Lavrov and Rubio discuss Ukrainian attacks on Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the phone on Sunday. The two sides have discussed the upcoming Moscow-Kiev talks in Istanbul and recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
Just a day before the talks scheduled in Türkiye, two bridges collapsed in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk border regions, leading to at least seven deaths and dozens of injuries. The incidents were caused by sabotage, according to Russia's Investigative Committee. Later that same day, drones targeted military airfields in Murmansk Region in the country's north, in Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in western Russia, and in Irkutsk Region in Siberia and Amur Region in the Far East.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Rubio 'expressed sincere condolences on the civilian casualties resulting from the bombings of railway infrastructure in the Bryansk and Kursk regions on June 1.'
Lavrov stressed that the attacks would be thoroughly investigated, and 'the results will be published in the very near future'. 'The guilty parties will be identified and will inevitably face deserved punishment,' the minister added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Russia Today
27 minutes ago
- Russia Today
UN lauds ‘extremely important' Russian food aid to Africa
Russian food aid to Africa is arriving at a critical moment, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said. Speaking to TASS on Thursday, Tom Fletcher emphasized that Russian assistance is particularly crucial in regions at risk of starvation, describing it as both 'extremely important' and 'very timely.' 'It is a sign of the Russian government's generosity and willingness to participate in such programs,' he added. At the same time, Fletcher noted that growing needs across Africa mean much more remains to be done. He recounted his recent visit to Sudan, including the conflict-ravaged region of Darfur, where he met people who he said were 'quite literally on the brink of starvation.' He called for enhanced cooperation among international agencies and urged greater collective generosity to meet urgent needs on the ground. Fletcher met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday to discuss a number of issues, including 'the functioning of OCHA and the United Nations' global humanitarian response system,' the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. The same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held talks with Ramtane Lamamra, the UN secretary-general's personal envoy for Sudan. According to the ministry's press service, the two officials reviewed ways to de-escalate the prolonged armed conflict in the country and emphasized the need for an urgent ceasefire. An armed group attacked a convoy jointly operated by the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF near Al Fashir in North Darfur on Monday evening. At least five Sudanese contractors employed by UN agencies were killed, while several others sustained injuries. Multiple trucks were torched, and vital humanitarian supplies were damaged. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by fierce fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), with both factions vying for control amid a stalled transition to civilian rule. According to Reuters, citing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 4 million people have fled Sudan since the outbreak of the war.


Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Wagner PMC announces withdrawal from African country
Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner Group announced the end of its mission in Mali on Thursday, saying its fighters have completed their objectives and are returning home. Wagner operatives have reportedly been active there since 2021, when the West African country's transitional authorities turned to the group for support following a coup and a surge in attacks by Tuareg rebels and al-Qaeda-linked militants. 'For three and a half years, the 'musicians' fought shoulder to shoulder with the people of Mali against terrorism,' Wagner said, using the informal name for its contractors. 'We eliminated thousands of militants and their commanders, who had terrorized the civilian population for years.' The group added that it had helped Malian patriots build 'a strong and disciplined army capable of defending its land,' and claimed that all regional capitals had been returned to 'the control of the legitimate authorities.' Wagner declared that 'the mission is complete. Wagner PMC is returning home.' Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had confirmed that the Mali government had indeed asked Wagner for help back in 2021 and has since also been receiving official military support from Russia. In April, he reiterated Moscow's commitment to support the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—by helping build joint armed forces, training personnel, and supplying weapons. Wagner's withdrawal comes amid accusations by Malian and Russian officials that Ukrainian military agents have been aiding jihadist groups in the region. Earlier this week, the Malian outlet Bamada reported that government troops had recovered Ukrainian drones and documents from vehicles used by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate. According to the outlet, the drones were allegedly delivered via neighboring Mauritania by Ukrainian instructors working with Tuareg fighters, who then passed the equipment to their jihadist allies. Materials linked to Ukraine's military intelligence were also reportedly seized near the town of Mopti. Russian Foreign Ministry official Tatyana Dovgalenko echoed the accusations, claiming Kiev has been supplying Western-provided weapons to militants across Africa as part of 'systematic efforts' to destabilize the Sahel. In 2024, a deadly ambush by Tuareg rebels left dozens of Malian and Wagner fighters dead. A spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence later described it as a 'successful military operation,' prompting Mali to cut diplomatic ties with Kiev, followed by Burkina Faso and Niger.


Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Trump threatens to sanction both Russia and Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has signaled that Washington could impose sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine if the conflict between the two nations does not come to an end. Trump has thus far declined to commit to new sanctions on Russia, despite weeks of pressure from European leaders, saying only that he would act when the time felt right — and that moment had not yet come. He has also expressed concern that levying new restrictions could jeopardize peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. During a meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, Trump said he would decide when to act if it became clear that a peace deal could not be reached, noting that 'it's in my brain, the deadline.' He suggested he'd be willing to apply restrictions on both Russia and Ukraine, warning that 'we'll be very, very, very tough, and it could be on both countries to be honest.' 'You know, it takes two to tango,' the US president added. Trump likened the Ukraine conflict to 'two children fighting in a park.' He also said a sanctions bill moving through the US Senate would be 'guided by me,' but suggested it might be better to let Russia and Ukraine continue fighting 'for a while' before 'pulling them apart.' The US president was referring to legislation backed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Russia hawk and Trump ally, that would impose a 500% tariff on countries that buy Russian energy, uranium, and other raw materials – measures aimed chiefly at India and China. Trump's statement comes as Kiev has ramped up attacks on Russian territory, including a UAV strike on several Russian airbases and recent acts of railway sabotage in Bryansk and Kursk regions, which claimed the lives of seven people and left scores injured. Moscow has accused Kiev of orchestrating a series of violent incidents aimed at undermining peace talks. Russia has also claimed that Trump is receiving 'filtered' information about the Ukraine conflict from those pushing Washington toward supporting Kiev. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it is carrying out strikes on Ukrainian military-linked installations in response to Kiev's increased drone attacks on Russian civilian targets. In a previously unannounced phone conversation on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed his US counterpart that Kiev's recent attacks were intended to derail direct talks with Moscow, the second round of which took place in Istanbul on Monday. Revealing details of the phone call, which he described as 'a good conversation,' Trump said that the Russian president 'did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.'