Latest news with #Belgorod
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ukraine launches massive drone attack on Russia
Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Russia overnight, hitting a key microelectronics plant and forcing multiple Moscow airports to close. Kyiv struck the Mikron factory in Zelenograd, which produces microelectronics and semiconductors used to develop missile, air defence and radar systems. Russia said thirteen regions were targeted, including Moscow, Bryansk, Belgorod, Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver and Tula. The Kremlin's defence ministry said it shot down 296 drones, including 40 heading for the capital, affecting air travel for hours. It said: 'During the last night... anti-aircraft defence systems destroyed and intercepted 296 Ukrainian aerial drones.' There were no immediate reports of any casualties. Russia's federal air transport agency said flights were temporarily suspended at Moscow's Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo airports. Ukraine is yet to comment. If Russia's numbers are accurate, the strikes would represent one of the largest drone attacks of the war so far by Kyiv, which has stepped up aerial assaults on Russia in recent weeks. In an interview published on Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, warned that Vladimir Putin was preparing to launch 1,000 drones at Ukraine in a single attack. Mr Zelensky claimed that Russia had the capacity to launch around 350 Iranian-made Shahed drones every day, and that it wanted to boost this figure to 500. He told reporters: 'I don't take the figure of 1,000 drones a day as constant, but I understand they could stockpile and launch a massive attack.' The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was working on new technology to counter the increasing drone threat from Russia, which launched 900 drones in the three days up to Monday. 'We're already using them. The question now is how fast we can scale,' Mr Zelensky added, emphasising the importance of international financial support, especially from Germany. Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky continued to warn that Russia was amassing 'more than 50,000 troops' on the front line around the north-eastern Sumy border region. Russian forces captured four villages in Sumy after Putin ordered his troops to carve out a buffer zone along the border. 'Their largest, strongest forces are currently on the Kursk front,' Mr Zelensky told reporters, adding: 'To push our troops out of the Kursk region and to prepare offensive actions against the Sumy region.' The Ukrainian president later called for a three-way summit with Donald Trump and Putin after the Russian leader failed to show up at peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month. 'If Putin is not comfortable with a bilateral meeting, or if everyone wants it to be a trilateral meeting, I don't mind. I am ready for any format,' Mr Zelensky said in comments published this morning. The Ukrainian president also said he would 'very much like' Mr Trump to hit Russia's banking and energy sectors with sanctions in response to a wave of aerial attacks and Moscow's refusal to agree to a ceasefire. Mr Trump continued to criticise Putin on Tuesday, warning that he was playing with fire and cautioned that 'really bad' things would have happened already to Russia if it were not for Mr Trump himself. Dmitry Medvedev, a senior security official and Russia's former president, dismissed Mr Trump's criticism and threatened a third world war. He wrote in English on X: 'Regarding Trump's words about Putin 'playing with fire' and 'really bad things' happening to Russia. I only know of one REALLY BAD thing — WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!' Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump's envoy, quoted Medvedev's post and said it was reckless. Gen Kellogg said on X: 'Stoking fears of WW III is an unfortunate, reckless comment... and unfitting of a world power. 'President Trump @POTUS is working to stop this war and end the killing. We await receipt of RU Memorandum (Term Sheet) that you promised a week ago. Cease fire now.' Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said Moscow would announce the next round of direct talks with Ukraine soon.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Several Russian airports suspend operations: more than 100 drones reportedly downed over Russia
Some Russian airports have suspended operations overnight and in the early morning of 27 May. Source: Russian media outlets citing Federal Air Transport Agency; Russian Defence Ministry Details: The Federal Air Transport Agency reported that restrictions on the arrival and departure of civilian aircraft had been introduced at the airports of Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov and Tambov. Prior to that, restrictions were introduced at Kaluga airport. Updated: Later, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that 99 Ukrainian UAVs had been intercepted and destroyed over seven Russian Oblast from the evening of 26 May to the morning of 27 May. In particular, 56 drones were downed over Belgorod Oblast, 25 over Voronezh Oblast, seven over Vladimir Oblast, five over Kaluga Oblast, four over Tula Oblast and one each over Rostov and Lipetsk oblasts. No information about the consequences of the attack have been reported yet. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Al Arabiya
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Russia says it downs 99 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia's defense ministry said on Tuesday that its air defense systems had downed 99 Ukrainian drones, including 56 over the Belgorod region, overnight.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kremlin reveals Ukraine 'buffer zone' plan as NATO scrambles planes
Putin mouthpiece Dmitry Medvedev has shared a map which suggests that the Kremlin tyrant wants to turn the whole of Ukraine - apart from a tiny sliver on Poland 's border - into a 'buffer zone'. Medvedev - an ex-president of Russia and now a top security and political official - wrote on X: 'If military aid to the [ Kyiv ] regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this.' He offered no further explanation, but reasoned in a Telegram post earlier this month that such a large zone was necessary to protect Belgorod from long-range Western weapons supplied to Ukraine, such as the British Storm Shadow with a range of more than 150 miles. The post came as Moscow pummeled Ukraine with devastating strikes on Sunday, forcing NATO to scramble warplanes from Poland as a defensive measure for the second night in a row. The massive overnight attack saw Russia launch 355 drones - a new record high - as well as nine cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force. Air raid alerts blared for six hours straight in Kyiv. US President Donald Trump last night accused the Kremlin dictator of going 'absolutely CRAZY… needlessly killing a lot of people', and threatened tougher sanctions in response to the killing. 'Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia,' he added - a statement which reflected the chilling vision shared by Medvedev. As well as his very blunt words for Putin, Trump also took aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and what he claimed was his part in prolonging the three-year war, which began with Russia's illegal invasion. 'Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,' he said, reigniting tensions between the two leaders. 'Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop.' Zelensky had earlier called on Trump to condemn the attack , writing on Telegram: 'The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin. 'Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia.' In Odesa, a man was killed after covering his girlfriend with his body. After receiving 70 per cent burns on his body he managed to let her and his dog out to be rescued, according to reports. In Kharkiv region, at least six settlements were under fire with two women, aged 84 and 58 killed. A man aged 60 and women aged 76 and 68 were injured. Russian troops shelled the village of Kindrativka in the Sumy region with artillery, killing a man, and wounding another. In Khotyn, a 48-year-old resident died from artillery shelling. Another civilian - a 52-year-old man - was injured. Russia staged a massive attack on a military airfield in Starokostiantyniv, Khmelnytskyi region. 'It burned like hell on earth…' said a witness. In Zaporizhzhia region, a woman, 60, and man, 52 were wounded in Russian strikes on a private home. Ukraine continued to fight back - again causing mayhem at Russian airports, especially Moscow, as they were forced into shutdowns due to swarming kamikaze drones. Moscow hubs Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky all suffered closures - as did Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl and Cherepovets airports. A major chemical plant - key to making Russian explosives - was hit at Kineshma in Ivanovo region, with smoke seen pouring from the facility. Tula region, with multiple defence enterprises, was also under fire - a regular target in recent days. Power outages followed the drone strikes. Russia's main drone-making centre Yelabuga in Tatarstan was also hit by Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks, according to reports. And a train exploded in Russia's Belgorod region after hitting a mine. Leading Putin TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov admitted that Ukrainian fighters are holding up Russia - claiming if the war was against Britain and other Western countries, Moscow would have won by now. 'The [Ukrainian] enemy is strong and cunning,' he told viewers. 'And we win not by numbers, but by skill, by preparation. 'If they were not like us... but like the Germans, French and British, we'd have [finished] them… 'There'd be nothing left of them. Just nothing. The [Westerners] don't understand what war is.' The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Putin's relentless attacks are aimed at hitting morale in Ukraine but also undermining Western confidence in Kyiv's ability to resist the Russians. 'Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities, aggressive rhetorical campaigns, and excessive pessimism in the West about the battlefield situation in Ukraine in a multi-pronged effort to degrade Ukrainian morale and convince the West that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and that supporting Ukraine is futile,' said the ISW. Yet 'the battlefield situation has shifted dramatically since early 2022, and three years of manpower and material losses have significantly degraded the Russian military's ability to conquer Ukraine. 'Russian advances have significantly slowed as Russian forces continue to suffer personnel losses and increasingly rely on poorly trained and equipped infantry to make gains. 'Putin remains deeply committed to distracting from the realities of the battlefield situation, however, as bringing about the cessation of Western military assistance to Ukraine is Russia's only real hope of winning this war.' Russia said it had shot down 148 Ukrainian drones. Zelensky vowed new sanctions including 'against representatives of Russian mafia groups who significantly helped the formation of the Putin regime and are still associated with it'.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kremlin reveals tyrant Putin's Ukraine 'buffer zone' plan - as NATO is forced to scramble planes for second night after Trump branded dictator 'absolutely crazy' for Kyiv killing spree
Putin mouthpiece Dmitry Medvedev has shared a map which suggests that the Kremlin tyrant wants to turn the whole of Ukraine - apart from a tiny sliver on Poland 's border - into a 'buffer zone'. Medvedev - an ex-president of Russia and now a top security and political official - wrote on X: 'If military aid to the [ Kyiv ] regime continues, the buffer zone could look like this.' He offered no further explanation, but reasoned in a Telegram post earlier this month that such a large zone was necessary to protect Belgorod from long-range Western weapons supplied to Ukraine, such as the British Storm Shadow with a range of more than 150 miles. The post came as Moscow pummeled Ukraine with devastating strikes on Sunday, forcing NATO to scramble warplanes from Poland as a defensive measure for the second night in a row. US President Donald Trump last night accused the Kremlin dictator of going 'absolutely CRAZY… needlessly killing a lot of people', and threatened tougher sanctions in response to the killing. 'Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. 'I've always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that's proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia,' he added - a statement which reflected the chilling vision shared by Medvedev. As well as his very blunt words for Putin, Trump also took aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and what he claimed was his part in prolonging the three-year war, which began with Russia's illegal invasion. 'Likewise, President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,' he said, reigniting tensions between the two leaders. 'Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop.' President Donald Trump has warned Putin has gone 'absolutely crazy' following his latest deadly attack on Ukraine Zelensky had earlier called on Trump to condemn the attack, writing on Telegram: 'The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin. 'Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia.' In Odesa, a man was killed after covering his girlfriend with his body. After receiving 70 per cent burns on his body he managed to let her and his dog out to be rescued, according to reports. In Kharkiv region, at least six settlements were under fire with two women, aged 84 and 58 killed. A man aged 60 and women aged 76 and 68 were injured. Russian troops shelled the village of Kindrativka in the Sumy region with artillery, killing a man, and wounding another. In Khotyn, a 48-year-old resident died from artillery shelling. Another civilian - a 52-year-old man - was injured. Russia staged a massive attack on a military airfield in Starokostiantyniv, Khmelnytskyi region. 'It burned like hell on earth…' said a witness. In Zaporizhzhia region, a woman, 60, and man, 52 were wounded in Russian strikes on a private home. Ukraine continued to fight back - again causing mayhem at Russian airports, especially Moscow, as they were forced into shutdowns due to swarming kamikaze drones. Moscow hubs Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky all suffered closures - as did Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl and Cherepovets airports. A major chemical plant - key to making Russian explosives - was hit at Kineshma in Ivanovo region, with smoke seen pouring from the facility. Tula region, with multiple defence enterprises, was also under fire - a regular target in recent days. Power outages followed the drone strikes. Russia's main drone-making centre Yelabuga in Tatarstan was also hit by Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks, according to reports. And a train exploded in Russia's Belgorod region after hitting a mine. Leading Putin TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov admitted that Ukrainian fighters are holding up Russia - claiming if the war was against Britain and other Western countries, Moscow would have won by now. 'The [Ukrainian] enemy is strong and cunning,' he told viewers. 'And we win not by numbers, but by skill, by preparation. 'If they were not like us... but like the Germans, French and British, we'd have [finished] them… 'There'd be nothing left of them. Just nothing. The [Westerners] don't understand what war is.' The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Putin's relentless attacks are aimed at hitting morale in Ukraine but also undermining Western confidence in Kyiv's ability to resist the Russians. 'Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities, aggressive rhetorical campaigns, and excessive pessimism in the West about the battlefield situation in Ukraine in a multi-pronged effort to degrade Ukrainian morale and convince the West that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and that supporting Ukraine is futile,' said the ISW. Yet 'the battlefield situation has shifted dramatically since early 2022, and three years of manpower and material losses have significantly degraded the Russian military's ability to conquer Ukraine. 'Russian advances have significantly slowed as Russian forces continue to suffer personnel losses and increasingly rely on poorly trained and equipped infantry to make gains. 'Putin remains deeply committed to distracting from the realities of the battlefield situation, however, as bringing about the cessation of Western military assistance to Ukraine is Russia's only real hope of winning this war.' Russia said it had shot down 148 Ukrainian drones. Zelensky vowed new sanctions including 'against representatives of Russian mafia groups who significantly helped the formation of the Putin regime and are still associated with it'.
