While peace plan talks continue in Ukraine, Kiev's forces launched one of the largest drone attacks since the outbreak of the war early this morning. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to have shot down 128 unmanned aircraft over various areas of its country and the annexed Crimea.
The majority (85 drones) were downed in the Krasnodar region, where aviation authorities suspended operations at the Sochi airport for several hours. Additionally, 30 were intercepted in the Crimean peninsula, and attacks were also repelled in the border regions of Bryansk and Kursk, both adjacent to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kiev Air Force reported that their defenses shot down 110 out of the 177 drones launched by Russia early this morning. The attacks resulted in one person dead, two injured, and several houses set on fire in the Kiev region.
Russian casualties, according to the Ukrainian Defense
Macron Informs Zelensky of Meeting with Trump
Volodymyr Zelensky was briefed on Tuesday night in a phone call with Emmanuel Macron about the meeting he had on Monday with US President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed the negotiation between Moscow and Kiev being promoted by Washington to end the war.
In a social media post informing about his call with Macron, Zelensky described the conversation as "constructive" and explained that he coordinated with the French president the "plans and contacts" to achieve an acceptable peace for Kiev that they are jointly promoting.
Zelensky also updated Macron on the conclusions of the meeting he held on Monday in Kiev with the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries who visited the Ukrainian capital on the third anniversary of the start of the war triggered by the Russian invasion.
Russia Working on a New Child Exchange with Ukraine
Moscow is working to bring 16 children from Ukraine to Russia and plans to reunite 10 children with relatives in Ukraine, as revealed by Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights to the RIA news agency. "We have a clear presidential mandate to work only with full legal representatives, that is, family members, parents who have legal authority and can take care of their children," stated the official Maria Lvova-Belova.
Moscow and Kiev have carried out several child exchanges for reunification with their families since the start of the war three years ago.
Ukrainian Air Defenses Shoot Down 110 Drones
The Kiev Air Force reported that their defenses shot down 110 out of the 177 drones launched by Russia early this morning. The statement mentioned that another 66 drones were "lost," referring to the military's use of electronic warfare to redirect them.
One Dead and Two Injured in the Kiev Region
A nighttime attack with Russian drones on the Kiev region resulted in one dead, two injured, and the burning of several houses, as reported by regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk on Wednesday.
Kalashnyk wrote on Telegram that the body of a civilian was found in a residential house that caught fire as a result of the attack. Additionally, two people from the region were injured during the night, and five houses and two multi-story residential buildings were damaged in the attacks.
Russia Shoots Down 128 Ukrainian Drones
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Wednesday that they shot down 128 Ukrainian drones over various regions of their country and annexed Crimea, marking one of the largest attacks of this kind against Russia since the conflict began.
The majority (85 drones) were downed in the Krasnodar region, where aviation authorities suspended operations at the Sochi airport for several hours. Additionally, 30 were intercepted in the Crimean peninsula, and attacks were also repelled in the border regions of Bryansk and Kursk, both adjacent to Ukraine.
Trump May Meet Zelensky on Friday to Sign Mineral Agreement
US President Donald Trump hinted on Tuesday that he could meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday at the White House to sign the agreement under which Ukraine will share its natural resources with the United States. "I've heard he's coming on Friday. Certainly, I'm fine with it if he wants and would like to sign it with me," he responded when asked by the press in the Oval Office.
Trump noted that the agreement with Ukraine, announced just on Monday, "is very important," and he believed that the American people "are very happy" about this achievement since, as he stated, his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden (2021-2025), "was throwing money" at Ukraine.
Ukraine reached an agreement with the United States to allocate 50% of the profits from the exploitation of its untapped natural resources to a joint investment fund in which the American side will have greater decision-making power and will be used to make investments in the Ukrainian economy.