Ukraine-Russia conflict newest: Moscow hit by huge drone raid for second night time forward of Putin’s Victory Day parade | EUROtoday

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to French president Emmanuel Macron yesterday night, a Downing Street spokesperson stated.

On the state of affairs in Ukraine, the leaders mentioned the necessity for Russia to decide to a 30-day ceasefire to make sure significant peace talks.

“Discussing the situation in Gaza, both expressed their deep concern at recent developments and agreed a renewed peace process was required,” the assertion from No 10 stated.

Russia has cancelled a Victory Day parade in occupied Crimea, Russian state-controlled media reported yesterday.

The parade within the port metropolis of Sevastopol, which is held on 9 May to commemorate the Soviet Victory within the Second World War, is not going to happen on account of security dangers, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev stated.

It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky stated he can’t assure the security of international officers who attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, warning that Russia may orchestrate provocations and try and blame Ukraine.

Moscow is answerable for security on Russian territory, he added.

The cancellation in Crimea comes after the Ukrainian army claimed to have downed two Russian fighter jets utilizing sea drones close to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Friday – believed to be the primary strikes of their type.

Sevastopol is a serious naval base within the Black Sea which has been beneath Russian occupation since its unlawful annexation of the peninsula in 2014.

Officials in Greece have rejected reviews that it’s being lined up by the Trump administration to ship Ukraine a Patriot air defence system.

A report by the New York Times cited 4 present and former US officers as saying {that a} Patriot missile system from Germany or Greece is more likely to be despatched to Ukraine, with logistics nonetheless being mentioned.

However, a Greek official denied that Patriot programs might be despatched from there whereas discussions are nonetheless being held on a package deal of recent help forward of the Nato summit in late June.

“There is no question of supplying Ukraine with Patriot systems from Greece,” a authorities official in Athens advised Reuters.

The Times report stated one Patriot system was being refurbished and despatched to Ukraine from Israel.

The war-hit nation has requested its allies in Europe to offer it with extra Patriot programs to down incoming Russian missiles.

The assault by Ukrainian forces on the Western fringe of Kursk is dramatic however not a shock, The Independent’s World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes.

Ukraine has maintained a foot gap within the salient it captured final August however misplaced most of earlier this yr to forestall Russian incursions into its territory.

It can also be carried out commando raids and semi-covert operations additional east across the Russian metropolis of Belgorod amid claims from President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia was increase its personal forces on his northern border for a possible invasion.

The newest Ukrainian assaults on Kursk draw focus and power away from a possible Russian assault and serve political objective in reminding the Russian inhabitants that there’s a value to pay at dwelling for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

But there are solely Russian sources reporting the Ukrainian assault on Kursk and there was no official affirmation from Kyiv on these reported operations.

In their preliminary reviews, Russian army bloggers stated Ukrainian forces firing missiles had smashed via the border, crossing minefields with particular automobiles.

“The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armoured groups in the morning,” Russian conflict blogger “RVvoenkor” stated on Telegram.

“The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armoured vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border,” they stated.

Popular Russian army weblog Rybar stated Ukrainian models have been making an attempt to advance close to two settlements in Kursk area over the border — Tyotkino and Glushkovo.

The head of Glushkovo district, Pavel Zolotaryov, wrote on Telegram that residents of a number of localities have been being evacuated to safer areas.

Ukraine first made a shock incursion into Kursk in August 2024, hoping to shift the momentum in Russia’s full-scale invasion and draw Russian forces away from different sectors of the entrance in japanese Ukraine.

Last month Russian generals and president Vladimir Putin claimed that these forces had been absolutely expelled from Russian territory.

But Kyiv has not acknowledged that its troops have been pressured out.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says his army continued to function in Kursk and within the adjoining Russian area of Belgorod.

Dismissing Vladimir Putin’s provide of a short ceasefire in May as but “another attempt at manipulation” is an understatement. The Russian president is – in keeping with the previous head of MI6 – intent on taking far more than simply Ukraine.

Far from worrying by current mini-threats from Donald Trump to extend sanctions or stung by the US president’s irritation at Russia’s stalling over a ceasefire, Putin is cupping his ears in a pantomime of consideration and carrying on doing as he pleases.

Such behaviour chimes with the uncharacteristically stark message from ex-spy chief Sir Alex Younger who, after a lifetime within the shadows of espionage, has a easy message: “If you don’t stand up to him, he comes back for more – how many more times do we need to be told this?”

Putin’s newest play is a three-day ceasefire from 8 May to mark the Russian anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. His final Easter ceasefire was ignored by his personal troops.

Ukrainian forces attacked an influence substation in Russia’s western Kursk area, the regional governor stated early this morning after Russian conflict bloggers reported a brand new Ukrainian land-based incursion into the world backed by armoured automobiles.

Officials on either side of the border reported deaths from army exercise and ordered evacuations of a number of settlements.

Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein stated Ukrainian forces had struck the substation within the city of Rylsk, about 50km (30 miles) from the border, injuring two youngsters. Two transformers have been broken and energy reduce to the world.

“Dear residents, the enemy, in its agony, is continuing to launch strikes against our territory,” Khinshtein wrote, confirming Ukrainian presence within the Russian area.

Last month, Russia’s prime basic stated that Ukrainian troops had been ejected from Kursk, ending the largest incursion into Russian territory for the reason that Second World War, and that Russia was carving out a buffer zone within the Ukrainian area of Sumy.

Ukraine made a shock incursion into Kursk in August 2024, hoping to shift the momentum in Russia’s full-scale invasion and draw Russian forces away from different sectors of the entrance in japanese Ukraine.

All 4 airports serving Moscow have been shut down and all flights have been halted, stated Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia this morning.

Airports in various regional cities have been additionally closed, it stated.

Just hours earlier, Russia’s capital got here beneath a large drone assault, officers reported.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that at the very least 19 Ukrainian drones have been destroyed on their method to Moscow “from different directions”.

Russia solely reviews the variety of drones it destroys, and never those who hit their targets.

Russian air defence models destroyed a swarm of Ukrainian drones focusing on Moscow for the second night time in a row, prompting the closure of the capital’s airports, Russian officers stated early this morning.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that at the very least 19 Ukrainian drones have been destroyed on their method to Moscow “from different directions”.

Russia solely reviews the variety of drones it destroys, and never those who hit their targets.

A day earlier Ukraine hit Moscow with 4 drones, with Russian president Vladimir Putin set to host a Victory Day parade within the metropolis on the finish of this week to mark the eightieth anniversary of victory within the Second World War.

At least three social media websites on Telegram with hyperlinks to Russian safety companies – Baza, Mash and Shot – stated one drone struck an condominium constructing close to a serious street within the south of the capital, smashing home windows.

There have been no reviews of casualties.

The mayor stated there was “no destruction or casualties” at any of the websites the place fragments had fallen.”

Specialists from the emergency services are working at the sites where the incidents occurred,” he stated.

He referred to clutter falling on one of many key highways main into town, however made no point out of a dwelling being hit.