Ukrainian drone strikes Russian plant after record attacks by Moscow in June
Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the 620-mile front line, but analysts say its defences are largely holding firm. With recent direct talks delivering no progress on US-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Moscow and Kyiv are bulking up their arsenals.
Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a monthly record, according to official data collated by the Associated Press.
A damaged apartment building in Kyiv (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone hit an industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 620 miles east of Moscow, killing three people and injuring 35, according to Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurtia region. The plant's workers were evacuated, he added.
The drone struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, which produces air defence systems and drones for the Russian military, according to an official with Ukraine's Security Service the SBU.
At least two direct hits were recorded on the plant's buildings, the official said.
Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory.
In May last year, a Ukrainian drone hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, 1,120 miles from the Ukrainian border, Kyiv officials claimed.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's domestic production of drones is about to increase in response to Russia's expanded barrages.
'The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,' he said late on Monday.
'This is extremely important,' he added. 'Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities, Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures.'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Jaimi Joy/PA)
Russia's Defence Ministry said 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region.
At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzia during the night, leaving more than 1,600 households without power, according to authorities.
Ukraine's air force said on Tuesday that Russia fired 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, criticised Moscow for continuing to strike civilian areas of Ukraine while effectively rejecting a ceasefire and dragging its feet on a peace settlement.
'We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war,' he said late on Monday. 'Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.'
Ukraine is developing its own defence industry as uncertainty remains over whether the Trump administration will continue to provide crucial military aid.
Between March and April, the US allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute.
European support has surpassed the US in total military aid for the first time since June 2022, totalling 72 billion euros (£61 billion) compared with 65 billion euros (£55 billion) from the US, the institute said last month.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
North Korea ‘offers 30,000 MORE troops' for Putin's meatgrinder war after tyrant Kim Jong-un wept over soldiers' coffins
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NORTH Korea is reportedly planning to send 30,000 more troops to fight alongside the Russians against Ukraine. It comes just a day after tyrant Kim Jong-un wept over the coffins of his soldiers whom he sent to die in Vladimir Putin's meatgrinder war. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchange documents during a signing ceremony of a new partnership in Pyongyang Credit: AP 12 A young-looking North Korean fighter stares down the lens of a Ukrainian drone Credit: Rex 12 Leaked footage showed Kim Jong-un's soliders training in Kursk Credit: Telegram 12 North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un posing with troops during an inspection at a training base Credit: AFP North Korea has so far sent an estimated total of 14,000 troops, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace its losses, according to Ukrainian officials. And a new Ukrainian intelligence assessment says Pyongyang is preparing to dispatch 30,000 more soldiers in the coming months to join the fight with the Russians, CNN reports. According to the intel report, there is a high chance that troops from North Korea will soon enter Russian-occupied Ukraine 'to strengthen the Russian contingent, including during the large-scale offensive operations.' The document adds Russian Ministry of Defence is "capable of providing needed equipment, weapons and ammunition' with the aim of 'further integration to Russian combat units.' Ukrainian intelligence also reported that Russian military aircraft are being modified to carry thousands of military personnel. Last week, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting that a dispatch of those 6,000 additional military personnel will likely come as early as July or August, North Korea has begun recruiting soldiers to be sent to Russia, according to Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. He told reporters the NIS noted that North Korea's dispatch of combat troops last year came about one month after Shoigu visited North Korea and signed an agreement with Pyongyang officials. In return for North Korea's supply of troops and weapons, Russia is believed to have given North Korea military and economic assistance. South Korea, the US and their allies are concerned that Russia could even transfer sensitive technologies that can enhance North Korea's nuclear program. Watch moment North Korean quadbike troops WIPED OUT as Putin sends waves into meatgrinder to retake Kursk from Ukraine In April, Kim Jong-un confirmed for the first time that North Korean troops were sent to fight alongside the Russians against Ukraine. Pyongyang's state TV and Kim's propaganda machine KCNA reported that North Korean soldiers made an "important contribution" to help the Russians flush out Kyiv's troops from Kursk. It said Kim deployed "sub-units of our armed forces" to Russia as part of a treaty with Moscow. The troops "participated in the operations for liberating the Kursk areas," the report added. North Korea "regards it as an honor to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation," KCNA said. Just two days ago, Kim draped flags over at least six coffins, and could be seen resting his hands on them in reflection. Watching the scenes back, the dictator's eyes shone with emotion. Other members of the audience - which reportedly included North Korean and Russian soldiers - were also visibly moved. Kim hosted a ceremony which remembered the soldiers taken out by Zelensky's brave army - and things got emotional for the tyrant. Thousands of North Koreans stood to attention in the vast auditorium, with Kim in the front row. Images of Kim draping the North Korean flag over soldiers' coffins were broadcast on a giant screen at the front while a huge orchestra played emotional music. Women in long dresses sang passionately and there was even a harp player stationed on the stage. 12 Kim Jong-un teared up as he watched himself laying the North Korean flag over soldiers' coffins Credit: Reuters 12 The coffins are thought to contain the bodies of North Koreans killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine Credit: X 12 Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a state reception in Pyongyang Credit: Reuters 12 North Korea's Storm Corps pictured in Moscow Credit: X In January, Ukraine claimed to have captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. They were among the first 11,000 of Kim's troops drafted into Putin's illegal war after the pariah pair sealed a pact to unite against the West. The military card of one of the captured men shows that the Russians gave the North Koreans fake identities with the pretence that they were from a remote region of Siberia. One of the captives was given a false Russian identity of Antonin Ayasovich Arankyn, born 03.10.1998 in the republic of Tuva. His document shows him to be single, with secondary higher education and the profession of a tailor. The ID was issued by the Military Commissariat of the Pyi-Khemsky district, of Tuva, a mountainous Russian republic bordering Mongolia. The other had no documents. The SBU believes the pair are North Koreans after saying that the captive soldiers do not speak Ukrainian, English or Russian. The soldier with the Russian identity said this was issued to him when he was brought to fight in the war. Images have shown a line of dead North Korean troops laid out in the snow moments after they joined the fight on the front lines. Numerous reports have shown a disturbing pattern beginning to emerge of North Korean troops being sent out on suicide missions on behalf of Russia. Footage emerged recently of Kim Jong-un's fighters being sent to jog through snowy no-man's-land and fatally soak up Ukrainian ammo. 12 One of the men was found with documents giving him a fake identity Credit: East2West 12 The Russian-issued false document claimed that the man was from a remote region of Siberia Credit: East2West 12 A captured North Korean soldier said he thought he was sent for training
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Hamas ‘ready for a ceasefire' but only if a deal ends the war in Gaza
The militant group stopped short of accepting a US-backed proposal announced by Donald Trump hours earlier. The US president said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. He has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Mr Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work towards ending the war — something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. Hamas's response raised questions about whether the latest offer could lead to an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement', adding that the group is 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war'. A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. Throughout the nearly 21-month war, ceasefire talks have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of a deal. Hamas has said it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less then half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks on an end to the war, but Israel is not committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. It was not clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. Israel has yet to publicly comment on Mr Trump's announcement. On Monday, he is set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with senior US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War'. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Europe 'doomed to war with Russia,' as Putin puppet demands strikes
Russian state TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov has called Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz satanists A Russian state TV presenter has made the shocking claim that his country should make pre-emptive strikes on Europe as it is inevitable the two sides will go to war. Well-known journalist Vladimir Solovyov alleged that Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz are all satanists. On a TV broadcast to the Russian people, Mr Solovyov said: "They've discussed how they support one another... in their fight against Christianity. Satanism is the one thing that unites all of them. The Democratic Party, is a party of satanists. The European elites are satanists. You won't find a single believer among them. Starmer, Macron and Merz. All of them are enemies of religion." "We are witnessing the divisions that are now underway, this is a fight between religious goodness and absolute evil. At this point all jokes are simply over. We see that the Nazis are getting ready for war. They can't stop. Europe is doomed to war with Russia. "They won't stop until we carry out a destructive preventive strike." Mr Solovyov has been described as Putin's puppet. Just last month he appeared on state TV and demanded a strike on Britain with Poseidon high speed atomic underwater drones - or Sarmat, the Satan-2, giant 208-ton intercontinental silo-launched 15,880mph nuclear weapon, the size of a 14-storey tower block. Mr Solovyov - whose propaganda themes are choreographed by the Kremlin which pays for his TV show - said he would deploy both Poseidon and Sarmat. Just yesterday, Russia gave an ultimatum to Britain that it must halt all military training for Ukrainian troops for the war to end. Supplies of arms must also be stopped, according to Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy to Vladimir Putin 's foreign ministry. The Russian demand came amid signs Donald Trump is ready to impose swingeing sanctions on the Kremlin over its refusal to end the war. The weekend saw the most intense aerial onslaught of the conflict on Ukraine with 537 strikes by Putin's forces, including the downing of an F-16 warplane with the death of pilot F-16 pilot Lt-Col Maksym Ustymenko. The pilot was posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine honour by Volodymyr Zelensky for 'defending our people from yet another massive Russian attack'. He was 'one of our very best' and 'losing people like him is deeply painful'. Moscow made clear its aim to kill off Britain's Operation Interflex training for Ukraine, which has drilled tens of thousands of fighters for battle. 'The participation or complicity of other countries is a key issue that must be stopped in all forms — including weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian militants,' he said. 'All of this amounts to direct complicity in the conflict. Halting these programmes would be a signal of willingness to seek a resolution.'
