Ukraine officials in US amid hits on Russian-held areas
Senior Ukrainian officials have visited the United States seeking support against Russia as Ukraine's forces set off an explosive device under a bridge that has become a symbol of the Kremlin's claims on Ukrainian territory.
A day after talks in Istanbul that made little progress towards ending the war, Ukraine launched what appeared to be one of its biggest waves of co-ordinated attacks of the conflict.
Ukraine's SBU security service said it had hit a road and rail bridge that links Russia and Crimea below the water level with explosives.
The extent of any damage was not clear but there were no immediate signs of traffic disruption.
"Previously, we hit the Crimean Bridge twice, in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater," the SBU said in a statement, adding that the operation had been prepared over several months.
The bridge is a flagship project for President Vladimir Putin, built after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, in a precursor to the latest conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones and shelling targeting the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and the Kherson region in the south damaged electricity substations, temporarily leaving about 700,000 people without power, Russia-installed officials said.
Underlining the gulf between the two sides after more than three years of war, the Kremlin said work on trying to reach a peace settlement was extraordinarily complex and that it would be wrong to expect any imminent decisions.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, arrived in the United States along with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svrydenko.
Ukraine says Russia is stalling the peace talks and Yermak signalled that he would press Ukrainian demands for tougher sanctions on Russia.
"We will actively promote issues that are important for Ukraine. Our agenda is rather comprehensive," Yermak said on the Telegram app after arriving in Washington DC.
"We plan to talk about defence support and the situation on the battlefield, strengthening sanctions against Russia."
Yermak said the officials would also discuss a deal that gives the US preferential access to new Ukrainian mineral projects and sets up an investment fund that could be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ukraine appears determined to show US President Donald Trump that it can still fight on despite the rising death toll and destruction.
Ukraine's attack on Russian-occupied territory in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions followed multiple Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure that have at times left millions of Ukrainians without power during the war.
"There is no electricity throughout the region," Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-installed governor of Zaporizhzhia, said.
"The Ministry of Energy ... has been instructed to develop reserve sources of electricity as soon as possible. Healthcare facilities have been transferred to back up power supply sources."
The attack followed drone strikes at the weekend on Russian military airfields, some of which housed long-range nuclear-capable bombers.
Ukraine's success in striking deep into Russia has prompted calls by some Russian military bloggers for a harsh response.
A Russian artillery strike on the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday killed three people and wounded 25, local officials said.
"That's all one needs to know about the Russian wish to end this war," Zelenskiy said on Telegram.
Russia has responded to such accusations by saying Ukraine is not making a genuine effort to seek peace.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
5 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
A Ukrainian firefighter rushed to the scene of a Russian drone attack. He found his wife, daughter and grandson dead
When the chief of the local fire department was called to a scene of a Russian strike in the central Ukrainian city of Pryluky on Thursday, he and his brigade found five people were killed and nine injured after a drone hit a residential building. Among the dead: the firefighter's wife, his daughter and his baby grandson. 'Three generations… there are no words that can ease this pain,' the Ukrainian National Police said in a statement on Thursday announcing the death of Daryna Shygyda, the firefighter's daughter, who was a serving police officer. 'She was strong, bright and sincere. She was loyal to her oath, fair and had a deep sense of duty — this is how her colleagues and everyone who knew her will remember her,' the police said in a statement, adding that Shygyda joined the force in 2020, when she was 22 years old. 'Becoming a police officer was her dream and vocation. Her firefighter dad taught her to help people since she was a child. And her husband, who is also a patrol officer, always supported and helped in the service. Her son was just one year old. His name was not released, and a photo of the baby shared on social media shows him facing away from the camera, held tightly by his mother and wrapped in a jacket with a wooly winter hat. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the boy was the 632nd child killed by Russia since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Russia launched 103 drones and one ballistic missile against the country overnight, targeting multiple regions. At least eight people were killed in the attacks. Speaking about the Shahed drone attack on Pryluky that killed the firefighter's family, Zelenskyy called on Ukraine's western allies to put extra pressure on Moscow. 'This is yet another massive strike by terrorists — Russian terrorists who kill our people every night,' Zelenskyy said on Telegram. 'This is yet another reason to impose maximum sanctions and exert pressure together. Strength matters, and only strength can end this war,' he said, adding that Kyiv 'expect action from the US, Europe and everyone in the world who can truly help change these terrible circumstances.' As the Kremlin continues to speak about peace — most recently on Wednesday, when the Russian President Vladimir Putin told Pope Leo XIV that he had 'interest in achieving peace' — it continues to terrorise Ukrainian civilians with daily aerial attacks. A tally compiled by CNN shows that as of Thursday morning, at least 30 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 150 injured in Russian strikes this week alone, including eight in just the past 24 hours. The attack also comes soon after another phone call between Putin and US President Donald Trump, in which the Russian leader said he would respond to Kyiv's audacious drone attack on Russia's air force. Russia stepped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in the past few months after it successfully managed to scale up domestic production of its own version of the Iranian -made Shahed drones, the type used most frequently in these attacks. Analysts say the brutal campaign is part of a deliberate strategy by Russia that is designed to create an impression that it has the upper hand in the conflict and undermine Ukraine's morale. The town of Pryluky, where the firefighter's family and two other people were killed overnight, declared two days of mourning on Thursday and Friday, ordering flags to be flown half-mast and black banners displayed on public buildings.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Russian strike kills five following Trump-Putin call
A Russian drone attack has killed the family of the local fire chief in Ukraine's northern town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, Ukraine's interior minister says. Minister Ihor Klymenko said the attack killed the fire chief's wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson. "On this terrible night, the rescuer was on site with the fire and rescue team to deal with the aftermath of the enemy strikes," he wrote on Telegram, expressing his condolences. The family was among five people killed when Russia launched six drones to attack the town, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Six more people were taken to hospital, he added. The attack came just hours after Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said "very strongly" that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine's weekend stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed implementing a ceasefire until a meeting can be arranged with Putin. "My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we agree a ceasefire with the Russians until the leaders meet," Zelenskiy told a briefing in Kyiv. "At this time, people will understand that the nations, Europe, Ukraine and the whole world have a chance to end the war," he said, adding that monitoring of the ceasefire could be discussed at the meeting. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would "be grateful" for support for the idea from the US president. After Ukraine bombed bridges and attacked Russia's fleet of nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia and Russia's far north, Putin on Wednesday said he did not think Ukraine's leaders wanted peace. Shortly after Putin discussed the attacks with top ministers in Moscow, Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Putin for one hour and 15 minutes, and that they had discussed the Ukrainian attacks and Iran. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," Trump said on social media. Russia has resisted calls from Ukraine and its allies for a ceasefire, saying that certain conditions must first be met. On Wednesday Putin repeated Russia's stance that any ceasefire would simply be used by Ukraine to acquire more foreign weapons. Putin said the attacks on the bridge in Bryansk and another one in Kursk had been directed clearly against the civilian population and that the attacks were evidence that the Ukrainian government "was degenerating into a terrorist organisation, and its sponsors are becoming accomplices of terrorists". "The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at a televised meeting with senior officials. "What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Zelenskiy said President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which hosted peace talks on Monday, had expressed support for a top-level meeting of the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, the US and Turkey. The June 2 talks in Istanbul made little progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine although the sides exchanged proposals as well as a plan for another major swap of prisoners of war. Zelenskiy said the POW exchange would begin over the weekend. "The Russian side has informed us that this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, it can return 500 people," he said. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has previously said the next exchange would focus on swapping the severely wounded and the young, as well as the bodies of dead soldiers. Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Wednesday he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC during his visit there. "We discussed the situation at the frontline and the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the area of air defence," he wrote on social media. with AP A Russian drone attack has killed the family of the local fire chief in Ukraine's northern town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, Ukraine's interior minister says. Minister Ihor Klymenko said the attack killed the fire chief's wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson. "On this terrible night, the rescuer was on site with the fire and rescue team to deal with the aftermath of the enemy strikes," he wrote on Telegram, expressing his condolences. The family was among five people killed when Russia launched six drones to attack the town, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Six more people were taken to hospital, he added. The attack came just hours after Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said "very strongly" that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine's weekend stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed implementing a ceasefire until a meeting can be arranged with Putin. "My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we agree a ceasefire with the Russians until the leaders meet," Zelenskiy told a briefing in Kyiv. "At this time, people will understand that the nations, Europe, Ukraine and the whole world have a chance to end the war," he said, adding that monitoring of the ceasefire could be discussed at the meeting. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would "be grateful" for support for the idea from the US president. After Ukraine bombed bridges and attacked Russia's fleet of nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia and Russia's far north, Putin on Wednesday said he did not think Ukraine's leaders wanted peace. Shortly after Putin discussed the attacks with top ministers in Moscow, Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Putin for one hour and 15 minutes, and that they had discussed the Ukrainian attacks and Iran. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," Trump said on social media. Russia has resisted calls from Ukraine and its allies for a ceasefire, saying that certain conditions must first be met. On Wednesday Putin repeated Russia's stance that any ceasefire would simply be used by Ukraine to acquire more foreign weapons. Putin said the attacks on the bridge in Bryansk and another one in Kursk had been directed clearly against the civilian population and that the attacks were evidence that the Ukrainian government "was degenerating into a terrorist organisation, and its sponsors are becoming accomplices of terrorists". "The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at a televised meeting with senior officials. "What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Zelenskiy said President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which hosted peace talks on Monday, had expressed support for a top-level meeting of the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, the US and Turkey. The June 2 talks in Istanbul made little progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine although the sides exchanged proposals as well as a plan for another major swap of prisoners of war. Zelenskiy said the POW exchange would begin over the weekend. "The Russian side has informed us that this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, it can return 500 people," he said. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has previously said the next exchange would focus on swapping the severely wounded and the young, as well as the bodies of dead soldiers. Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Wednesday he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC during his visit there. "We discussed the situation at the frontline and the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the area of air defence," he wrote on social media. with AP A Russian drone attack has killed the family of the local fire chief in Ukraine's northern town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, Ukraine's interior minister says. Minister Ihor Klymenko said the attack killed the fire chief's wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson. "On this terrible night, the rescuer was on site with the fire and rescue team to deal with the aftermath of the enemy strikes," he wrote on Telegram, expressing his condolences. The family was among five people killed when Russia launched six drones to attack the town, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Six more people were taken to hospital, he added. The attack came just hours after Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said "very strongly" that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine's weekend stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed implementing a ceasefire until a meeting can be arranged with Putin. "My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we agree a ceasefire with the Russians until the leaders meet," Zelenskiy told a briefing in Kyiv. "At this time, people will understand that the nations, Europe, Ukraine and the whole world have a chance to end the war," he said, adding that monitoring of the ceasefire could be discussed at the meeting. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would "be grateful" for support for the idea from the US president. After Ukraine bombed bridges and attacked Russia's fleet of nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia and Russia's far north, Putin on Wednesday said he did not think Ukraine's leaders wanted peace. Shortly after Putin discussed the attacks with top ministers in Moscow, Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Putin for one hour and 15 minutes, and that they had discussed the Ukrainian attacks and Iran. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," Trump said on social media. Russia has resisted calls from Ukraine and its allies for a ceasefire, saying that certain conditions must first be met. On Wednesday Putin repeated Russia's stance that any ceasefire would simply be used by Ukraine to acquire more foreign weapons. Putin said the attacks on the bridge in Bryansk and another one in Kursk had been directed clearly against the civilian population and that the attacks were evidence that the Ukrainian government "was degenerating into a terrorist organisation, and its sponsors are becoming accomplices of terrorists". "The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at a televised meeting with senior officials. "What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Zelenskiy said President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which hosted peace talks on Monday, had expressed support for a top-level meeting of the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, the US and Turkey. The June 2 talks in Istanbul made little progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine although the sides exchanged proposals as well as a plan for another major swap of prisoners of war. Zelenskiy said the POW exchange would begin over the weekend. "The Russian side has informed us that this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, it can return 500 people," he said. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has previously said the next exchange would focus on swapping the severely wounded and the young, as well as the bodies of dead soldiers. Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Wednesday he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC during his visit there. "We discussed the situation at the frontline and the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the area of air defence," he wrote on social media. with AP A Russian drone attack has killed the family of the local fire chief in Ukraine's northern town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, Ukraine's interior minister says. Minister Ihor Klymenko said the attack killed the fire chief's wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson. "On this terrible night, the rescuer was on site with the fire and rescue team to deal with the aftermath of the enemy strikes," he wrote on Telegram, expressing his condolences. The family was among five people killed when Russia launched six drones to attack the town, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said. Six more people were taken to hospital, he added. The attack came just hours after Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said "very strongly" that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine's weekend stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields. Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy proposed implementing a ceasefire until a meeting can be arranged with Putin. "My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we agree a ceasefire with the Russians until the leaders meet," Zelenskiy told a briefing in Kyiv. "At this time, people will understand that the nations, Europe, Ukraine and the whole world have a chance to end the war," he said, adding that monitoring of the ceasefire could be discussed at the meeting. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would "be grateful" for support for the idea from the US president. After Ukraine bombed bridges and attacked Russia's fleet of nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia and Russia's far north, Putin on Wednesday said he did not think Ukraine's leaders wanted peace. Shortly after Putin discussed the attacks with top ministers in Moscow, Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Putin for one hour and 15 minutes, and that they had discussed the Ukrainian attacks and Iran. "We discussed the attack on Russia's docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides. It was a good conversation but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace," Trump said on social media. Russia has resisted calls from Ukraine and its allies for a ceasefire, saying that certain conditions must first be met. On Wednesday Putin repeated Russia's stance that any ceasefire would simply be used by Ukraine to acquire more foreign weapons. Putin said the attacks on the bridge in Bryansk and another one in Kursk had been directed clearly against the civilian population and that the attacks were evidence that the Ukrainian government "was degenerating into a terrorist organisation, and its sponsors are becoming accomplices of terrorists". "The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," Putin said at a televised meeting with senior officials. "What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" Zelenskiy said President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which hosted peace talks on Monday, had expressed support for a top-level meeting of the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, the US and Turkey. The June 2 talks in Istanbul made little progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine although the sides exchanged proposals as well as a plan for another major swap of prisoners of war. Zelenskiy said the POW exchange would begin over the weekend. "The Russian side has informed us that this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, it can return 500 people," he said. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has previously said the next exchange would focus on swapping the severely wounded and the young, as well as the bodies of dead soldiers. Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Wednesday he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC during his visit there. "We discussed the situation at the frontline and the need to strengthen support for Ukraine in the area of air defence," he wrote on social media. with AP
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Nothing secret left': Ukraine hacks its way to crucial Russian military information in huge blow to Vladimir Putin
Ukraine has struck another major blow to Russia's internal operations, days after pulling off one of the most devastating covert attacks deep inside Vladimir Putin's territory. Ukraine military intelligence agency (HUR) has gained access to sensitive data of Russia's strategic aircraft manufacturer Tupolev, a source in HUR told The Kyiv Independent. Tupolev is a Soviet-era aerospace firm that has been fully integrated into Russia's gargantuan defence-industrial complex. The firm has been under international sanctions since 2022 for its role in Russia's war against Ukraine. Its bombers have been widely used to launch long-range cruise missiles against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure with untold amounts of death and damage. According to the source, HUR's cyber corps accessed over 4.4 gigabytes (GB) of internal data, including official correspondence, personnel files, home addresses, resumes, purchase records, and closed meeting minutes. 'The significance of the data obtained cannot be over-estimated,' the source said. 'Now, in fact, there is nothing secret left in Tupolev's activities for Ukrainian intelligence.' The intelligence includes detailed information about engineers and staff responsible for maintaining Russia's strategic bombers, such as the Tu-95 and Tu-160, which form a key part of Russia's fearsome nuclear arsenal. 'In particular, we have obtained comprehensive information about individuals directly involved in servicing Russian strategic aviation,' the source added. 'The result will obviously be noticeable both on the ground and in the sky.' Ukrainian cyber operatives also replaced the Tupolev website's homepage with an image of an owl clutching a Russian aircraft, likely referencing HUR's insignia and cyber warfare skills. The breach comes days after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) crippled over a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet in a major drone operation codenamed Spiderweb, which targeted four Russian air bases. That attack reportedly damaged 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, using drones launched from trucks hidden deep inside Russian territory. Putin has now launched its retaliation, killing six people including a baby and injuring dozens more in the eastern city of Pryluky. The strikes came just hours after Putin reportedly told former US President Donald Trump that Russia would 'have to respond' to Ukraine's weekend drone raids. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Putin was acting with 'impunity' and accused the Kremlin of showing 'the middle finger to the entire world.' In Chernihiv region, six people were killed after a barrage of Shahed-type drones struck the city of Pryluky overnight. Regional governor Viacheslav Chaus confirmed that among the victims were three generations of a single family: a 46-year-old woman, her 26-year-old daughter, and her 16-month-old grandson. Police said their bodies were recovered from the rubble of a destroyed home. Elsewhere, in Kharkiv, 17 people were wounded in a separate drone assault that hit two apartment buildings in the Slobidskyi district around 1:05am. Victims included three children aged 13, nine, and seven, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman. 'One drone hit the 16th floor of a residential building, another struck the wall of a five-story building,' regional head Oleh Syniehubov said. He described the attack as 'insidious terror.' Mayor Ihor Terekhov called the incident 'targeted terror' against civilians. A Kharkiv resident, speaking during the attack, said: 'I am recording this at 2am, I can't sleep... I am saying this on the way to the basement. Praying to God I'll be out alive in the morning.'
