• Invasion from Ukraine into the Belgorod region. Russia: “These are nationalists who have infiltrated Russia.” But Kiev denies any involvement
• Medvedev’s stop: “The F-16s in Kiev bring the apocalypse closer”
• Russian Deputy Minister Kucherenko dies in a plane crash after criticizing the invasion
• Another three months in prison for US Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich on charges of espionage
• Human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroev sentenced to 14 years in prison
06:14 – Kremlin spokesman Peskov: “Russia will achieve its goals in Ukraine”
Russia has no intention of stopping in Ukraine and will achieve its goals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured the state news agency TASS: “Russia is only considering the conclusion of the special military operation: it must protect its interests, achieve goals through the army or by any other available means,” Peskov said when asked whether Russia was ready to to consider ending the conflict.
05:10 – BBC: “US distances itself from attacks in Belgorod”
The United States has distanced itself from attacks by armed groups near Belgorod on Russian territory near the border with Ukraine, which Moscow says were carried out by Ukrainian terrorists. The BBC said, citing State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, that Washington “does not encourage or facilitate attacks within Russia.”
The spokesman said he was “skeptical” of the reports and reconstructions via social media that the perpetrators were equipped with US-made vehicles, the British broadcaster adds. Kiev said it was not responsible for the attacks allegedly carried out by Russian paramilitary groups against President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday’s attacks led to the evacuation of the Belgorod region. According to Moscow, several civilians were injured and an 82-year-old woman died trying to escape.
02:50 am – Moscow, a drone hits a car in Belgorod: no one was injured
A drone with an explosive device hit a car on a road in Belgorod, nobody was injured, the governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov reported on his Telegram channel.
02:30 – Ukraine, head of military intelligence: “We have weapons, the counter-offensive will start soon”
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview with Japan Broadcasting Corporation, quoted by the Kyiv Independent, that Ukraine has enough weapons and that the long-awaited counter-offensive will start “soon”. “Many civilians remain under Russian occupation and we must not waste any more time. We already have the basic set of weapons and other gear. I can only say that the counteroffensive will begin soon,” assured the head of Kiev’s 007. Budanov added that Ukraine must “use all forces and means” to expel Russia from its territory and that a larger stock of Weapons and ammunition were needed to continue these efforts. According to his estimates, 90% of Russian attacks on Ukrainian troops and logistics intended to hinder the preparation of a counter-offensive were intercepted.