All the latest developments on the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian drones shot down near Moscow
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, five Ukrainian drones were shot down near Moscow and its wider environs on Tuesday.
“This morning an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack was prevented,” the ministry said in a statement.
Four drones were destroyed by anti-aircraft defenses near Moscow, while the fifth was neutralized by “means of electronic warfare,” the statement said.
No injuries were reported in the Russian capital as all drones were successfully repelled, Moscow Mayor Sergeu Sobianine wrote on Telegram.
According to the forces of the Russian press agency RIA Novosti, two drones were shot down near the village of Valouïevo on the outskirts of the capital.
Another drone was shot down near Koubinka, Moscow region.
The attacks briefly disrupted operations at Moscow’s Vnoukovo Airport, some 40 kilometers from Koubinka, where several flights were diverted to other airports.
Located more than 500 km from the Ukrainian border, Moscow has rarely been the target of drone attacks since the war began, although drone attacks have multiplied elsewhere in Russia.
Two people are killed in a Russian drone attack on Sumy
At least two people were killed and 16 injured in an airstrike in the city of Sumy on Monday, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The Sumy Regional Military Administration reported that four Shahed-136 drones struck the city center, damaging an office building and two blocks of flats in the attack.
“Based on this fact, a criminal case was initiated under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violating laws and customs of war,” said a police representative at the scene.
Medvedev warns of “Armageddon”
Former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said “Armageddon” was likely unless the West agreed to negotiate with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Medvedev’s essay, published July 3, reflected inflammatory Russian rhetoric towards Ukraine and the West, aimed at undermining support for Kiev ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
He reiterated his portrayal of the war in Ukraine as part of a broader existential conflict against the West, and reiterated many of Putin’s pre-war demands.
Medvedev hinted that Russia was prepared to engage in this broader conflict “for decades” if these demands were not met, pointing to the likelihood of nuclear war.
The essay also claims that despite Western sanctions, Russia is aligned with powers that are not actively opposed to the West.
Prior to Medvedev’s essay, other senior Kremlin officials have made similar statements to Western states, organizations and media ahead of significant international discussions about military, political and economic support for Ukraine and its efforts to liberate Russian-controlled territories.