Ukraine intensifies strikes amid continued Russian drone attacks
The Kremlin has launched near nightly drone and missile attacks on Kyiv and other cities. In an attempt to counter this assault, Ukraine has intensified its campaign of strikes on oil facilities and military targets deep inside Russia, reports BritPanorama.
On Monday, former President Donald Trump announced that the two sides had agreed to halt this deadly aerial exchange. Trump claimed it was the primary driver of a global fuel shortage that has seen diesel prices in the United States hit record highs. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to question Trump’s assertion, stating he would only promise to halt energy strikes if Russia did the same, expressing distrust towards the Kremlin.
The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s idea on Tuesday, describing it as a proposal still subject to ongoing discussions with Washington. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov termed Trump’s proposal “a very good idea, a good initiative,” noting that they are in continuous contact with the Americans and support peaceful solutions. However, the White House did not immediately respond to requests for clarification regarding the alleged agreement and the disconnect between Trump’s statement and subsequent developments.
In May, Trump secured a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during which time President Vladimir Putin held a “victory day parade.” Earlier this month, both sides had briefly paused strikes while Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held talks in Moscow and Kyiv, although these negotiations yielded no substantial results, prompting fighting to resume.
On Monday, Trump attributed rising diesel prices to the Russia-Ukraine war, including Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russian assaults, rather than the concurrent American-Israeli military actions against Iran, which have contributed to escalating costs amid the conflict now entering its seventh month.
Tuesday also witnessed further developments on the Ukrainian battlefield as a senior Ukrainian commander announced a new offensive in Donetsk, near the strategic cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Brig. Gen. Andrii Biletskyi reported that his forces had cleared Russian infiltration groups from around 29 square miles, recapturing an additional four square miles.
This ongoing war regularly threatens to extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. Overnight, NATO fighter jets shot down an unmanned aircraft in Lithuanian airspace, the origin of which remains under investigation. This occurred less than a day after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte indicated that Russian attacks close to NATO territory would prompt increased support for Ukraine.
In a separate incident, Denmark summoned Russia’s ambassador following reports that a Russian warship fired flares toward a Danish military helicopter in the Baltic Sea on Monday, according to Danish authorities.
