The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has witnessed a significant escalation, with both sides exchanging attacks and accusations. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia launched 315 drones and seven missiles overnight, targeting the capital city of Kyiv. The Ukrainian air force claims to have intercepted 284 drones and all the missiles.
In response to the attacks, Zelenskyy urged the United States to exercise its “power to force Russia into peace.” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, however, emphasized that there can be no end to the war without a halt to NATO’s eastward expansion. “Practical steps are needed on the American side to eliminate the causes of the fundamental contradictions between us in the field of security,” Ryabkov said.
The Russian attacks resulted in at least one civilian death in Kyiv, according to the city’s military administration. Timur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv city military administration, condemned the attacks, saying, “Russian strikes are once again hitting not military targets, but the lives of ordinary people.”
Additionally, a World Heritage-listed cathedral in Kyiv, St Sophia Cathedral, was damaged in the attack. Ukrainian Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi described the cathedral as “the soul of all Ukraine” and lamented that “the enemy struck at the very heart of our identity again.”
Ukraine also launched drone attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region, resulting in one civilian death and four injuries. In a separate development, Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner swap, with plans to release at least 2,400 prisoners.
The European Commission is reportedly planning to propose new sanctions against Russia, including lowering the Russian oil price cap from $60 to $45 per barrel and banning the use of Nord Stream gas pipeline infrastructure. The proposed sanctions are part of the 18th package of sanctions against Moscow.
A Ukrainian official, Heorhiy Tykhyi, called for increased international pressure on Russia, stating that the lack of pressure led to “almost empty” peace talks in Istanbul. “We urge partners not to wait for anything – to increase pressure on the Russian Federation,” Tykhyi said.