Fighting
- Attacks in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia: Russian attacks have continued to result in casualties in eastern and southern Ukraine. Four people were killed and 10 injured in the Donetsk region, while two were killed and one injured in the Zaporizhzhia region after Russian forces launched 449 strikes on 17 settlements.
- Ukrainian Actions: Ukrainian forces launched a “massive” drone attack on Russian-occupied Donetsk, reportedly killing two civilians. Ukraine also claimed that its forces recaptured the village of Zarichne in the Donetsk region.
- Other Incidents: A Russian attack on a thermal power facility in the Kyiv region caused blackouts and gas outages. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) detained an Azerbaijani citizen, accusing him of working with Ukraine for reconnaissance missions. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed to have shot down 195 Ukrainian drones and two aerial bombs in a 24-hour period.
Sanctions
- The European Union’s plan for new sanctions against Russia is being closely coordinated with the United States.
- EU Council President Antonio Costa said the EU’s top sanctions official, David O’Sullivan, is in Washington, D.C., to discuss potential coordinated measures.
- The Kremlin responded, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that “no sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change the consistent position that our president has repeatedly spoken about.”
Politics and Diplomacy
- The Czech Republic announced it will expel a Belarusian diplomat accused of espionage, claiming to have “broken up a Belarusian intelligence network being built in Europe” in cooperation with Romanian and Hungarian services.
- A German government spokesperson said that Russia’s “ongoing escalation of the war” shows that President Vladimir Putin “does not want to negotiate.”
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on European countries to “expand and strengthen” their partnerships, acknowledging Europe’s changing relationship with the United States.
