Ukrainian drones strike Russian 'shadow' tankers; Kyiv hit by more Russian missiles
Ukraine's military said its drones have attacked 12 shadow fleet tankers delivering fuel to Crimea over the past two days. Meanwhile, Kyiv came under a Russian missile attack early Wednesday, injuring two people.
Ukrainian drones have struck a dozen tankers belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet" that were delivering fuel to Crimea over the past two days, according to Kyiv's military. The drone forces said they hit eight sanctioned vessels in the Sea of Azov, each with a deadweight of approximately 7,000 metric tons. Two more tankers were hit later in the day.
Ukraine's capital Kyiv came under a Russian missile attack early on Wednesday, triggering fires and injuring at least two people, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He reported a fire in a storage area and a non-residential building. One of the injured required hospitalization. The air alert lasted about an hour. The attack followed Russian strikes on Monday that killed 30 people in Ukraine, including multiple missile hits on Kyiv. In the southern port of Odesa, a missile strike earlier in the evening injured 10 people, with eight hospitalized, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed his call for Ukraine to join NATO, arguing that its armed forces are highly experienced and would strengthen the alliance's defense capabilities. He highlighted Ukraine's ability to strike deep inside Russia and hit oil refineries and other energy targets. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are "eliminating" an average of 30,000 Russian troops every month. "Frankly, we take no pride in this," he said, noting that the war, now in its fifth year, is one "we did not seek but one we are forced to fight." He is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Ankara. Trump said he spoke to both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin before the NATO summit about ending the war. "I think they both want to make a deal. It's too bad it took so long... Something's going to come out," Trump said.
Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine had signed three "drone deals" with Denmark, Estonia, and the Netherlands, sharing its expertise gained from over four years of war. The deals vary by country but typically involve Kyiv providing blueprints for drone technology in exchange for royalties, investments, and other military hardware.
Ukraine's foreign ministry criticized the International Olympic Committee's decision to lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, calling it "troubling" and a "troubling signal for the entire international community." It urged countries hosting competitions to maintain a ban on Russian state symbols, stating that "under this flag an unprovoked war is continuing in Ukraine."
