Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after talks with US President Donald Trump on Friday in Alaska, once again spoke about “brotherly peoples” and the “road to peace in Ukraine.”
During the joint press conference, Putin emphasized that Russia was supposedly “sincerely interested in ending the war” and was even ready to work on security guarantees for Ukraine.
“I have repeatedly said that, for Russia, the events in Ukraine are connected with fundamental threats to our national security. Moreover, we have always considered and still consider the Ukrainian people to be brotherly, however strange that may sound in the current circumstances…,” Putin said.
He also added that he counts on a “constructive approach” in Kyiv and European capitals and that they will not create obstacles or try to disrupt the “progress that has been outlined.”
“Our side is sincerely interested in ending the war. At the same time, we are convinced that for the Ukrainian settlement to have a long-term and sustainable character, the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated.”
Yet while the Russian president was speaking about peace and the “common roots” of the nations, his army continued to devastate Ukrainian cities. Overnight, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine, firing an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 85 Shahed attack drones and decoy drones.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the attacks were carried out from Russia’s Kursk, Oryol, and Rostov regions, as well as from temporarily occupied Crimea. The frontline areas of Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions came under fire.
Ukrainian units of electronic warfare, mobile fire groups, and air defense forces destroyed and suppressed 61 enemy drones. At the same time, a missile and another 24 UAVs struck 12 targets in various regions.