A Ukrainian drone strike in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, has left one person dead and two wounded, as the conflict continues ahead of a summit in which Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to persuade his U.S. counterpart to back a peace deal that upholds Moscow's gains.
Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin said in a statement posted online that the drones targeted two “industrial zones,” causing unspecified damage and killing three people.
A Ukrainian official said at least four drones launched by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked a plant in the city of Arzamas that produced components for the Khinzal-32 and Khinzal-101 missiles.
An anonymous source, commenting on the operations, noted that the Plandin plant produces gyroscopic devices, control systems and on-board computers for missiles and is an “absolutely legitimate target” since it is part of the Russian military-industrial complex, which functions to meet the needs of the war against Ukraine.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a total of 39 Ukrainian drones overnight and Monday morning over several Russian regions, as well as over Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
At a summit hosted by US President Donald Trump in Alaska later this week, Mr Putin will continue to insist on preserving all Ukrainian territory that his troops now control and on preventing Kyiv from joining NATO, with the long-term goal of keeping the country in Moscow's sphere of influence.
Mr Putin believes he has the advantage on the ground, with Ukrainian troops struggling to contain Russian advances along a 600-mile front.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that he will never agree to any annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia and will not give up his country's aspirations for NATO membership.
European leaders have united in support of Ukraine, saying peace in the war-torn country cannot be achieved without Kyiv's participation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also spoke with Mr. Trump on Sunday, a spokesman for Mr. Merz said on Monday, but did not disclose the content of their talks.
Spokesman Steffen Meyer reiterated that the German government “has always stressed that borders should not be changed by force” and that Ukraine must decide its fate “independently and autonomously.”
Meanwhile, on the front lines, many Ukrainian soldiers do not believe there is an end to the war in sight, except for a brief respite before Moscow resumes its attacks with even greater force.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
