Ukraine-Russia battle newest: Putin makes calls for for Black Sea ceasefire regardless of launching big drone assault | EUROtoday

The founding father of Save Ukraine Mykola Kuleba mentioned most of the kids Ukraine has been in a position to rescue have spoken about being drafted or seeing their mates drafted into the Russian military.

“Of that more than 600 kids who [have] been stolen and rescued, together with our partners … 40 per cent of all boys rescued over the past year, received draft notice for the Russian army, or had friends who did,” he informed a UK parliamentary committee.

“25 per cent of all rescued children or their classmates were forced to march and handle weapons and shoot. Every fifth rescued child had a gun pointed at them.”

Mr Kuleba mentioned 70 per cent of the youngsters have been made to hearken to Russian army personnel or safety service members in school, who urged the youngsters to signal contracts with the Russian army.

Ukraine’s deputy overseas minister Mariana Betsa says almost 20,000 Ukrainian kids have been kidnapped by Russia throughout the battle.

“So far, we identified almost 20,000 Ukrainian children who were forcefully deported by Russia in grave breach of international law to the Russian territory,” she informed a UK parliamentary committee.

“This is a massive crime that Russia commits.”

Ukraine’s deputy overseas minister Mariana Betsa will shortly handle a UK parliamentary committee.

Ms Betsa can be showing earlier than the International Relations and Defence Committee, alongside the founding father of Save Ukraine Mykola Kuleba, and Daria Zarivna, the advisor to the pinnacle of the workplace of the President of Ukraine and operations director of Bring Kids Back UA.

The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin’s order to halt strikes on power infrastructure is being adhered to by Russian forces.

Kremlin spokesman Dmirty Peskov mentioned on Wednesday that the moratorium on attacking power infrastructure has been in drive since March 18 and was being fulfilled by Russia.

Moscow mentioned yesterday that oil refineries, power pipelines and nuclear energy stations wouldn’t be focused for 30 days in a deal struck with Ukraine.

Overnight Russia carried out drone assaults on Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned civilian infrastructure was hit.

Volodymyr Zelensky shared photographs of the aftermath of Russia’s drone strikes on Ukraine in a single day, which got here after the international locations reached an settlement to halt assaults within the Black Sea.

Following days of intense talks with the US, each Russia and Ukraine have agreed to cease assaults within the Black Sea.

They additionally agreed to take steps in direction of agreeing to a ceasefire on power infrastructure.

Here is what the White House mentioned each international locations agreed to, in separate talks with the US in Saudi Arabia earlier this week:

• Cease utilizing drive and permit the secure naviagation of ships within the Black Sea.
• Develop measures for implementing the settlement to ban strikes on power amenities.
• Work with mediating international locations ton implement the agreements.
• Work in direction of an enduring peace.

Volodymyr Zelensky says the in a single day assaults from Russia have been a “clear signal” that Russia didn’t need an actual peace.

“Launching such large-scale attacks after ceasefire negotiations is a clear signal to the whole world that Moscow is not going to pursue real peace,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X.

“Since March 11, there has been a US proposal for a total ceasefire, a complete halt to strikes. And literally every night, through its attacks, Russia keeps saying ‘no’ to our partners’ peace proposal.

He added: “Everyone who was affected must be given assistance. But there must also be clear pressure and strong action from the world on Russia – more pressure, more sanctions from the United States – to stop Russian strikes. “

The Ukrainian president says Russia’s overnight drone attacks were proof that Russia wanted the war to drag on.

Russia launched 117 drone attacks through the night, and the key Ukrainian Black Sea port city of f Mykolaiv was struck.

Volodymyr Zelensky said many regions came under attack from Russia, despite the countries reaching an agreement to end attacks in the Black Sea and start working towards a ceasefire.

“Last night, there were another 117 proofs in our skies of how Russia continues to drag out this war – 117 strike drones, most of them Shaheds. A significant number were shot down by our air defenders,” he mentioned on X.

“Dnipro, Sumy, Cherkasy, and other regions came under Russian attack. There was a massive drone strike on Kryvyi Rih – targeting a local enterprise and civilian infrastructure. In Okhtyrka, Sumy region, homes, stores, and civilian infrastructure were damaged. Communities in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions also came under fire.”

Defence Secretary John Healey says he’s “proud” of the UK’s main function in constructing a ‘coalition of the willing’ to assist Ukraine.

Mr Healey was requested about US particular envoy Steve Witkoff’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine battle, after Mr Witkoff dismissed Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for a peacekeeping drive as being primarily based on a “simplistic” thought.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Healey mentioned: “I’m proud that the UK, alongside France, is leading the coalition of the willing, ready to stand by Ukraine in the event of a negotiated peace just as we have through the war.

“And we’re responding to the US problem to European nations just like the UK to do extra to assist Ukraine.

“We’re responding to the requirement of Ukraine to say, ‘look, post-ceasefire, what are the security arrangements that give us the confidence that any negotiated peace will, as President Trump has said, be a durable peace’.

“That’s what we’re getting ready for: the success of the negotiations we have seen, long term, in Saudi Arabia, however the way forward for Ukraine as an impartial sovereign nation that has been combating so onerous for its future during the last three years towards Putin’s unlawful invasion.”

While Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said he would immediately observe the ceasefire, Russia said they would only halt action if certain conditions including the lifting of sanctions was met.

Overnight, Russia launched a drone attack on the city of Mykolaiv, a key Black Sea port.

Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the military administration, described it as the biggest drone attack on the city since the war began.

“Apparently, that is how the occupiers ‘need peace’,” he wrote on telegram.

But as world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes from Odesa, Ukraine has been beating Russia within the Black Sea – which has been essential in getting Vladimir Putin to the negotiating desk.