The attacks continue in the Ukraine war despite Putin's statement on Tuesday that he was willing to negotiate peace, but not with Zelenski. This Wednesday, the Russian petrochemical giant Sibur has temporarily suspended production at its plant in the Nizhni Novgorod region due to a Ukrainian drone attack.
Meanwhile, Russia has once again attacked the capital of Ukraine. The remains of a destroyed Russian drone fell near a metro station in the Darnytskyi district of Kiev. The capital was on alert for an aerial attack for about half an hour during the early hours of the morning, but no casualties have been reported from the Russian attacks.
On the front lines, Russia announced yesterday the capture of another town in Kharkiv, neighboring Donetsk and the epicenter of the Russian troops' offensive. This is the fourth town conquered by Putin's forces in the Kharkiv region since late December. Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the capture of the villages of Lozova, Kalinovo, and Zapadne.
Albanese receives report from Russia denying execution of Australian prisoner of war
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated on Wednesday that Russian authorities have assured him that his compatriot Oscar Jenkins, who was fighting in the Ukrainian ranks against the Russian invasion, is alive and in Moscow's custody, as reported by Efe.
Albanese told the public broadcaster ABC that he is urgently seeking confirmation of these new reports from Moscow, which dismiss the claims made earlier this month by some of Jenkins' former comrades, who stated that he had been executed by Russian troops after being captured.
"I am reluctant to confirm that this is the case, but that is certainly the statement that Russian authorities have made to our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade... we are seeking confirmation," he said.
Mother and son die in a drone attack in the Russian region of Belgorod
A mother and her two-year-old son died, and two other family members were injured in a drone attack in the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine, the regional governor said on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.
Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that the drone had hit a family home. He added that the father and another child were injured and taken to the hospital.
Ukrainian army says it shot down 29 Russian drones launched overnight
The Ukrainian army reported that Russia launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 57 drones in an overnight attack, as reported by Reuters.
The army said it shot down 29 Russian drones, with 14 of them failing to reach their targets. The Ukrainian air force did not specify what happened to the rest of the drones.
Ukraine claims to have attacked Russia's fourth largest refinery
Ukraine attacked a refinery located in the Nizhni Novgorod region in western Russia last night, which processes between 15 and 17 million tons of oil per year and is the fourth largest facility of its kind in Russia, according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Disinformation Center of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, as reported by Efe.
According to Kovalenko, the refinery in the town of Kstovo produces gasoline, diesel, aviation kerosene, and tar.
"The smaller the refinery, the less fuel and other resources the Russians will have," Kovalenko added, describing the infrastructure as "important" for the Russian Army.
Zelenski on Putin: "he is afraid of negotiations and strong leaders"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski accused Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin of wanting to prolong the war indefinitely and stated that the Russian president is afraid of negotiations and strong leaders, as reported by Efe.
"Today Putin has once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations and strong leaders and is doing everything possible to prolong the war," Zelenski wrote on his X account.
The Ukrainian president made this statement after Putin accused him of not having the legitimacy to sign a peace agreement with Russia, as his term expired in May last year and he has not called for elections since then.
Russian attacks kill four people in southern Ukraine
Two people lost their lives yesterday in the southern region of Kherson, partially occupied by Russia and constantly exposed to artillery fire and bombings, and two other civilians died last night in the neighboring Mykolaiv in a Russian missile attack, according to local authorities, as reported by Efe.
Another 14 people were injured on Tuesday in the part of Kherson west of the Dnieper River, which is under Kiev's control.
In the case of Mykolaiv, the victims are two women aged 54 and 56 who died at the food factory where they worked when it was hit by an Iskander-M ballistic missile, according to Mykolaiv Governor Vitali Kim.
Russia shoots down over a hundred Ukrainian drones
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Wednesday that its forces had shot down over a hundred Ukrainian drones in a nighttime attack that damaged residential buildings, set a refinery on fire, and injured at least one person, as reported by Afp.
"A total of 104 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems last night," the ministry stated on Telegram.
Most of the drones were shot down in the western regions of Kursk and Bryansk, although there were also fewer interceptions in Smolensk, Tver, and Belgorod.