Zelenskyy says Ukraine's drone strikes will continue until Russia halts offensive
Ukrainian President
said Ukraine's surprise drone attack on Russia over the weekend was a success and warned it would 'continue' unless Moscow halts its offensive.
Speaking to reporters after the latest round of US-brokered peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, Zelenskyy described the drone strike as a 'strategic operation' that weakened Russia's military capability.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The attack, which targeted Russia's strategic bomber fleet, took place just a day before the talks.
'This is happening on daily basis,' Zelenskyy said, referring to Russia's ongoing assaults, including a recent overnight attack using more than 480 drones. 'Unless they will stop, we will continue.'
When asked whether the drone operation would shift the dynamics of the war or provoke Russia, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was not concerned about whether Russia is 'enraged,' stressing that Moscow continues its attacks regardless.
Zelenskyy also addressed the role of the US in the peace process. 'We are looking for very strong steps on the part of President Trump to support the sanctions and to force President Putin to stop this war, or at least proceed with the first stage of putting an end to this war — that is the ceasefire,' he said.
Monday's meeting in Istanbul marked the first direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian delegations since May 2022.
The talks, held at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace, lasted just over an hour.
Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that both sides agreed to exchange all severely wounded and ill prisoners of war, as well as the bodies of thousands of fallen soldiers. They also discussed the possibility of a meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President
.
Ukraine is calling for a 30-day ceasefire to create space for peace negotiations. However, Russia has rejected the proposal, with President Putin sticking to the same broad war goals he declared at the start of the invasion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Harvard student fires back in exclusive interview as Trump goes to war on foreign students
An exclusive interview with Fangzhou Jiang, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Harvard Kennedy School student, on the Trump administration's aggressive visa revocations for Chinese students. Hear firsthand about the anxiety and uncertainty among Chinese students at Harvard, the impact on academic freedom, and the broader implications for US-China relations. Jiang shares insights on national security, community support, and why he co-founded Crimson Education. Don't miss this insightful discussion on America's shifting immigration policies and the future of international students in the US.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Germany to boost military by up to 60,000 troops under new NATO targets
Germany will need up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday, as the alliance beefs up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat by Russia. "We are stepping up to our responsibility as Europe's largest economy," the minister told reporters ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels that was set to approve the new targets. The fresh demands are tailored to the alliance's defence plans, thousands of pages of secret documents drawn up for the first time since the end of the Cold War, that detail how allied forces would respond to a Russian attack on NATO. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fastest Selling Plots of Mysore from 40L | 40+ Amenities PurpleBrick Learn More Undo Translating these plans into the military tools needed, NATO found severe shortfalls in various areas - ranging from large formations of combat-ready ground troops to long-range weapons, sufficient ammunition stockpiles and secure communications. Pointing to the secret nature of the targets, NATO chief Mark Rutte only gave a rough outline of the gaps the alliance seeks to plug. Live Events "We have to invest in our air defence systems, we have to invest in our long-range missiles, we have to invest in our maneuverable land-formations, command and control systems - all of this has to happen," he told reporters, adding that all this would require huge investments. HUGE CHALLENGE FOR BERLIN In total, the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, will need roughly 50,000 to 60,000 additional active soldiers over all branches of the military, according to Pistorius, which would put the future strength of the German forces at between 250,000 and 260,000 troops. Last week, Reuters reported that NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more army brigades alone, or some 40,000 troops. Sources, who all spoke on condition of anonymity, put the target for the total number of brigades that NATO allies will have to provide in future to between 120 and 130. Recruiting tens of thousands of extra troops will be a big challenge for Berlin, however, and likely spark a fresh debate on whether conscription - suspended in 2011 - should be reintroduced. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data. Pistorius said the government would be faced with the question whether the voluntary military service it aims to introduce will be sufficient to fill the Bundeswehr's ranks. Still, he warned that the military currently could not absorb a bigger number of conscripts due to a lack of barracks and trainers. "Until we have such capacities, we'll have a voluntary service - and maybe beyond that if we are an attractive employer and win enough young men and women for the military who agree to serve for a longer time." In a major shift, Germany recently loosened its debt brake to enable a surge in defence and backed Rutte's plan to hike NATO's spending target to 5% of GDP.
Mint
42 minutes ago
- Mint
Russia vows to respond to Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web attack ‘as and when it sees fit'
The Kremlin declared on Thursday that Russia will respond to Ukraine's recent attacks whenever its military deems appropriate, condemning Kyiv for what it described as acts of state terrorism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had informed former US President Donald Trump that Moscow was obliged to retaliate. Over the weekend, Ukraine launched drone strikes targeting Russian heavy bomber aircraft stationed at air bases in Siberia and the far north. Additionally, Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating explosions on rail bridges in southern Russia, which resulted in the deaths of seven people. Peskov highlighted Putin's remarks from the previous day, in which the Russian president labelled the Kyiv regime a 'terrorist regime' for allegedly ordering the sabotage of a passenger train — an act Putin described as 'terrorism at the state level.' However, Russia has yet to present evidence linking Ukrainian leaders to the rail attacks, and Kyiv has denied responsibility. The recent Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory, coupled with ongoing Russian air strikes and ground offensives, have intensified the conflict that began in February 2022. These developments have further dimmed hopes for peace talks, which both sides resumed last month in Turkey. Despite the escalation, Peskov noted that Putin supported Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's stance that working-level communications with Ukraine should continue. When asked about a potential face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump during their recent phone call, Peskov said no such discussion took place, though there was mutual recognition of the need for such a meeting once properly arranged. The possibility of lifting sanctions on Russia was also not addressed. Operation Spider's Web was a covert drone attack conducted by Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. Carried out on June 1 by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the large-scale assault targeted key Russian airbases and aircraft, reportedly destroying over 40 bomber planes regularly used in attacks against Kyiv. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the operation took 18 months and nine days to meticulously plan and execute. Ukraine's recent operations, described metaphorically as a 'spider's web,' involve a series of coordinated strikes deep within Russian territory, targeting critical military infrastructure such as air bases and transportation networks. Ukrainian attacks inside Russia and Russian air strikes and advances on the battlefield have escalated the war that began in February 2022, damaging prospects for peace talks that the two sides resumed in Turkey last month.
