Russia and Ukraine exchange drone attacks ahead of Istanbul talks
Russia's defence ministry reported that its air defence forces had 'intercepted and destroyed' 162 Ukrainian drones, most of them over border regions. It said 57 were brought down over the Kursk region and 31 over Belgorod.
The aerial exchanges came ahead of the second direct meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The talks are expected to focus on military de-escalation and humanitarian issues.
Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed it had carried out one of its most daring operations inside Russian territory, targeting airbases and damaging several strategic bombers stationed deep behind enemy lines.
Ukraine also accused Russia of launching 80 drones—mostly Iranian-designed Shahed models—along with four missiles in an overnight assault that struck 12 locations across the country. Images from the eastern city of Kharkiv showed damage to residential buildings.
In the southern Kherson region, officials reported that a 40-year-old man was killed by Russian artillery fire in frontline territory.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
an hour ago
- Dubai Eye
Russian drone on Ukraine kills 5, injures 23
A Russian drone attack damaged apartment buildings in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, injuring 17 people, while killing 5 and injuring 6 in the northern town of Pryluky on Thursday. On the Telegram messaging app, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes, around 1 a.m., damaged seven apartment buildings, with direct hits on two. Kharkiv has been a frequent target of Russian drones and missiles in the more than three-year-old war. "It flew into our neighbours' apartment next door, and my child and I managed to run out into the hallway," said a resident, Anastasiia Meleshchenko, adding that the ceiling began to crumble after a blast. Emergency services said at least four children were among the injured in Kharkiv. In the town of Pryluky, a one-year-old child and two women were among those killed, Viacheslav Chaus, the regional governor of Chernihiv, said on Telegram, with initial details showing six more injured and hospitalised. At least six drones were used in the overnight attack that damaged buildings in the town's residential area, Chaus said. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, tens of thousands of people have been killed, with large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed, and millions forced to flee their homes.
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Putin is doing to Trump what Trump does to everyone else
John M. Crisp, Tribune News Service Russian President Vladimir Putin did something odd on May 24: He launched 367 drones and missiles against a number of Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. At least 12 people were killed, including children, and dozens were injured. I'm calling this odd—hold that thought for a moment—but there's nothing unusual about it. The only person who appears to be surprised by another Russian attack on Ukrainian civilians was President Donald Trump, who said, 'I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Trump added that Putin is 'needlessly killing a lot of and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.' Trump gets the 'needlessly killing a lot of people' part right. He seems to be discovering what everyone already knows: Putin is a killer. He's not just an indifferent perpetrator of collateral damage in an unjust war, he's a murderer who doesn't hesitate to use violence to eliminate political enemies. This is the man that Trump calls 'a strong leader.' But Trump also seems to recognize the odd part of Putin's attacks on Ukrainian civilians, calling them 'Not necessary, and very bad timing.' Putin is winning the war in Ukraine. His most decisive victory occurred on Nov. 5, 2024, when Trump was elected president. The coalition organized by former President Joe Biden to resist Putin's unprovoked attack on Ukraine was seriously undermined by the election. Trump has not only threatened to cut off American aid to Ukraine and alienated Europeans who support Ukraine, but he has suggested a false, sickening equivalence of blame for this war. Putin is still a long way from his goal, which is complete control of Ukraine and, at least, some of the Baltic states. But the 'peace' plan that would be acceptable to Trump and Putin—Ukraine is a different matter—would provide the pause in the war that would allow Putin to consolidate his gains, reconstitute and rearm his military and plan his much-desired reestablishment of some version of the sphere of influence that the Soviet Union enjoyed. So why, with this tactical victory within reach, would Putin commit war crimes against Ukrainian civilians, risking a reawakening of American resistance to his war on Ukraine or, more likely, strengthening European resolve, in lieu of help from the United States, to preserve the liberal world order established after World War II? Here's my theory: Interactions among nations are often driven by rational motivations that emerge from competing economic interests. Nations tend to fight over resources. Sometimes conflicts develop over rival ideologies, but even they often have economic foundations. But sometimes wars are initiated and prolonged by the personalities and temperaments of national leaders, which helps explain why we fought so long in Vietnam or invaded Iraq, at all. Putin is a cruel criminal. But he's also a bully, a warped alpha male. He knows he's got the upper hand in Ukraine, but it's not enough just to win, he has to humiliate and dominate. To rub his opponents' noses in their defeats. Killing a few civilians without any useful military purpose is a small price for Putin to pay in order to demonstrate his dominance. And nothing gratifies an alpha male more than humiliating another alpha male. Compared to Putin, Trump is an amateur. Still, Trump is in a position to have an appreciation for some of Putin's motivations: Just winning is never enough for Trump, either. Civilization faces two daunting crises, compared with which all others—immigration, the global economy, the commercialization of the presidency—are insignificant. Climate change is a genuine threat to civilization or, at least, to the sort of life that we've grown to enjoy. The other great crisis is the ideological battle between the values that the US cultivated and nurtured after World War II—democracy, freedom of speech, rule of law, tolerance, legitimate elections—and the opposite values largely embraced by our adversaries. That conflict is being played out in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the outcomes of both crises are in considerable doubt.
Al Etihad
20 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Zelensky says ready for meeting with Putin, Trump, Erdogan 'any day'
4 June 2025 17:22 Kyiv (AFP)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that he was ready to hold a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump "any day". "We are ready for such a meeting any day," Zelensky told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv, adding that he was proposing that a ceasefire be put in place before any such summit, which would also include Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan.
