2:37 p.m
Tajani: Switzerland is an excellent place for negotiations
“We are convinced that Switzerland, as a neutral country, can be an excellent place for negotiations of any kind.” This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Farnesina at a joint press conference with Federal Councilor of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. “In terms of post-war pacification in Ukraine, we believe Switzerland can play an important role,” he added.
2:25 p.m
Moscow: arrest warrant for Kiev secret service chief Budanov
Moscow’s Lefortovo court has issued an arrest warrant for the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, Kirill Budanov, over the October 8 attack on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea that claimed four lives. This was reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti
2:13 p.m
Medvedev: London will go down because of Russian weapons
Britain was, is and will be our eternal enemy. At least until their bold and disgustingly wet island is sunk into the depths of the sea by the wave of the latest Russian weapons systems. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram.
12:41
Stoltenberg: We need to talk about sending fighters to Kiev
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, spoke out in favor of continuing talks on sending western fighter jets to Ukraine. According to dpa reports, Stoltenberg said we needed to continue discussing the allies sending in planes. The secretary spoke on the sidelines of Ramstein’s Ukraine Support Contact Group. During Thursday’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskysays Stoltenberg, the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine needs more weapons, including fighters and air defense systems.
10:48
Kiev: In Belgorod, the Russian dog bit its tail
“Overnight in Belgorod, the dog bit its own tail: Russia could self-destruct by promoting the destruction of Ukraine.” This is what the adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Mykhailo, wrote on Twitter Podoliak, following the accidental Russian shelling last night in the town on the Ukraine border. “The combined forces of Ukrainians and allies with advanced technologies and NATO standards must not lose to the useless corrupt Soviet army,” he added.
Podolyak said on TV that the Russians admitted dropping the bomb on Belgorod in order not to demoralize the population. This is what Ukrainian media reported. The leadership of the Russian Federation, said the adviser to the Ukrainian Presidency, is afraid to admit that their country may not be protected. According to Podolyak, the Russians admitted to the bombing after weighing the risks they were taking if they didn’t. “They calculated the risks. If they had said that Ukraine attacked, they (the citizens) would have further demoralized considerably. So in Russia they would start saying: “But where is the air defense?” Then they would have understood that Russia is not protected,” explained Podolyak.
10:20
Stoltenberg: “All NATO allies agree on Ukraine’s accession”
“All allies agree that Ukraine should join NATO.” This was stated by Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg from the Ramstein base in Germany, where Ukraine’s allies are meeting to discuss further assistance needed to confront Russian aggression. Stoltenberg paid a surprise visit to Kiev yesterday.
09:49
Friendly fire: Moscow plane bombs Russian city, three injured
According to the Moscow Defense Ministry, a Russian warplane accidentally bombed the city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast left a crater about 20 meters wide in the city center. Three people were injured and several buildings damaged, he said, when a Su-34 fighter-bomber accidentally dropped bombs on the city. The incident happened at 10:15 p.m. local time last night, Russian news agencies reported.
An investigation is underway. Photos and videos on social media show homes damaged by the blast, while one image appears to show a car on the roof of a building. Belgorod – a city of 370,000 inhabitants – is located about 40 km from the Ukrainian border. It is north of Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, and people have been living in fear of Ukrainian bombing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Russian jets regularly fly over the city.
08:58
Russia lost 185,050 soldiers
Russia lost 630 men in the last day, bringing its ranks to 185,050 since the day Moscow attacked Ukraine on February 24. This was reported by the Daily Bulletin of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, just published on Facebook, with numbers that cannot be independently verified. According to the Ukrainian military report, Russian losses to date would be 185,050 men, 3,668 tanks, 7,126 armored vehicles, 2,827 artillery systems, 539 multiple rocket launchers, 285 anti-aircraft systems. Russian forces also lost 308 aircraft, 293 helicopters, 5,713 vehicles, 18 naval units and 2,394 drones, according to the bulletin, which states that the data is being updated due to the intense fighting.