logo
Zelensky says Ukraine used 117 drones in attacks on Russian air bases

Zelensky says Ukraine used 117 drones in attacks on Russian air bases

Arab News2 days ago

KYIV: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday it deployed 117 drones in a massive attack against Russian air bases that he called 'our most long-range operation' in more than three years of war.
'A total of 117 drones were used in the operation. And a corresponding number of drone operators worked,' Zelensky said in a statement, adding that '34 percent of the strategic cruise missile carriers at the airfields were hit.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia says no quick ‘breakthroughs' in ‘complex' Ukraine talks
Russia says no quick ‘breakthroughs' in ‘complex' Ukraine talks

Arab News

timean hour ago

  • Arab News

Russia says no quick ‘breakthroughs' in ‘complex' Ukraine talks

MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday said it was wrong to expect a quick breakthrough in Ukraine talks, a day after Moscow rejected Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire at negotiations in Istanbul. The sides agreed on a large-scale swap of captured soldiers and exchanged their roadmaps to peace, or so-called 'memorandums,' at the discussions, which lasted under two hours. More than three years into Russia's offensive — which has killed tens of thousands on both sides and forced millions from their homes in eastern Ukraine — the two sides appear as irreconcilable as ever. 'The settlement issue is extremely complex and involves a large number of nuances,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday. 'It would be wrong to expect immediate solutions and breakthroughs,' he added. Moscow demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of four eastern and southern regions that Moscow claims to have annexed as a precondition to pausing its offensive, according to the document handed to the Ukrainians that was published by Russian state media. Kyiv had pressed for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Russia instead offered a partial truce of two to three days in some areas of the frontline, its top negotiator said after the talks. Peskov also dismissed the idea of a summit between the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the United States. 'In the near future, it is unlikely,' Peskov told reporters when asked about the chances of the leaders meeting, adding that such a summit could only happen after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reach an 'agreement.' The White House had said on Monday US President Donald Trump was 'open' to the idea, which is also backed by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russia of 'deliberately' targeting civilians in a rocket attack on the city of Sumy, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border, that killed three people. Russian troops have accelerated their advance, seeking to establish what Putin called a 'buffer zone' inside Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region. Zelensky posted a video from the emergency services showing destroyed cars and the body of one victim lying on the road. The attack 'says everything one needs to know about Russia's so-called 'desire' to end this war,' he added, calling for 'decisive actions' from the United States and Europe to push Russia into a ceasefire. 'Every day, Russia gives new reasons for tougher sanctions and stronger support for our defense,' he said. Three people were also killed in a rocket attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Moscow's army said it had captured the village of Andriivka in the Sumy region, located around five kilometers from the Russian border. Zelensky said last week that Russia was amassing some 50,000 soldiers for an offensive on the region. Meanwhile Ukraine's SBU security service claimed it had hit a pillar of the Crimean bridge, linking the annexed peninsula to Russia, with an underwater explosive device. The extent of the damage was unclear and cars were on Tuesday using the bridge following a temporary closure after the attack. A delegation of top Ukrainian officials also landed in Washington for talks with US officials on defense and economic issues, including the possibility of new sanctions, Zelensky's office said. Trump, who said he could end the conflict swiftly when he returned to the White House in January, has repeatedly expressed anger at both Putin and Zelensky as the fighting drags through its fourth year with no end in sight. But he has held off from imposing new economic penalties on Moscow.

US to Eventually Reduce Military Bases in Syria to One, Says US Envoy
US to Eventually Reduce Military Bases in Syria to One, Says US Envoy

Asharq Al-Awsat

timean hour ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

US to Eventually Reduce Military Bases in Syria to One, Says US Envoy

The United States has begun reducing its military presence in Syria with a view to eventually closing all but one of its bases there, the US envoy for the country has said in an interview. Six months after the ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, the United States is steadily drawing down its presence as part of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), a military task force launched in 2014 to fight the ISIS. "The reduction of our OIR engagement on a military basis is happening," the US envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, said in an interview with Türkiye's NTV late on Monday. "We've gone from eight bases to five to three. We'll eventually go to one." But he admitted Syria still faced major security challenges under interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose coalition toppled Assad in December. Assad's ouster brought an end to Syria's bloody 14-year civil war, but the new authorities have struggled to contain recent bouts of sectarian violence. Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkey, called for the "integration" of the country's ethnic and religious groups. "It's very tribal still. It's very difficult to bring it together," he said. But "I think that will happen," he added. The Pentagon announced in April that the United States would halve its troops in Syria to less than 1,000 in the coming months, saying the ISIS presence had been reduced to "remnants".

Ukraine invited to NATO summit in The Hague: Zelensky
Ukraine invited to NATO summit in The Hague: Zelensky

Arab News

time2 hours ago

  • Arab News

Ukraine invited to NATO summit in The Hague: Zelensky

VILNIUS: Ukraine has been invited to a NATO summit later in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, after earlier warning it would be a 'victory' for Russia if it was not there. The heads of NATO states will gather in The Hague, Netherlands, from June 24-26, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's calls for alliance members to ramp up defense spending set to dominate the agenda. 'We were invited to the NATO summit. I think this is important,' Zelensky said Monday after he held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Vilnius. Kyiv is seeking to shore up its support from Europe because of uncertainties over vital military aid under Trump. Last week Zelensky had said that 'if Ukraine is not present at the NATO summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over NATO.' Zelensky wants NATO to offer security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia — something Moscow has called 'unacceptable.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store