Russia intercepted 20 drones targeting Crimea on Saturday, Russia’s defense ministry said, marking the third day in a row of attempted drone strikes. The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of escalating attacks on Russia’s illegally annexed capital Moscow and the Crimean peninsula. While Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the swarms of drones, Ukrainian officials have advised Moscow residents to expect daily attacks.
In the United States, the Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on four people who served on the board of Alfa Group, one of Russia’s largest financial and investment firms.
Here’s the latest on war and its ripple effects around the world.
Russia’s Defense Ministry says air defenses shot down 14 drones over Crimea And electronic warfare systems blocked the rest. It is He said there are No loss of life or major damage. The Washington Post could not independently verify this claim.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the heads of all regional military recruitment centers. In a major move he described as a crackdown on corruption. He said officials faced accusations of “illegal transportation” or bribery of people across the border to Ukraine’s western neighbors to avoid the military draft. Last week, Zelensky said there were “disgusting” irregularities in the centers’ audits.
The new round of US sanctions includes two Russian billionaires behind the Alfa Group. Michael Friedman and Peter Aven are fighting EU and British sanctions imposed on them during the war. Russian elites “must divest themselves of the notion that they can conduct business as usual,” said Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo. said in a statement.
An elderly woman was killed in a shelling attack early Saturday in Kupyansk, Ukraine, said The regional governor, Ole Tsinihubov, accused Russian forces of intensifying attacks there. Moscow and Kiev have reported a recent escalation of fighting in Gupiansk, in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, and Gupiansk authorities have ordered mass evacuations of civilians.
Security is becoming “increasingly distant” for Moscow residents, Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence, said in an interview With Kiev post Russia has reported an increase in drone strike attempts in recent weeks. “It would be logical to assume that daily attacks will increase,” he said.
Tensions between Ukraine and Poland over grain indicate war weariness, Press release. Although Poland is among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, the two neighbors face a growing dispute over Ukrainian grain imports, which Poland is allowed to ban under an EU-brokered deal to protect its farmers.
Zelensky spoke with the President of Zambia about the importance of the Black Sea Grain AgreementUkrainian President The office said Friday. Russia’s withdrawal from a UN-backed deal last month halted grain exports from Ukraine, causing concern for countries struggling with food insecurity. In Zambia, 48 percent of people do not meet their minimum calorie requirements. According to the World Food Programme.
He writes that some critics say the campaign was aimed at appeasing Western allies and not at high levels of corruption.
