This week, battles continued to rage all along the front lines. The fighting did not stop despite “Putin’s truce” around the Victory Day celebration. Russia continued to strike Ukrainian cities and towns far behind the front lines with missiles and drones.
The year 2024 was the deadliest for Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a BBC report found. Last month, more Russian drones struck targets. Russia sent 136 drones into Ukraine during an overnight attack on Tuesday, 124 of them missed the target. A Russian drone and missile attack on Wednesday killed two in Kyiv and injured eight others, including four children. The strike caused damage to the city’s four districts.
Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes, targeting military sites deep inside Russia. Late last week, Ukraine’s defense intelligence downed two Russian fighter jets with Magura-7 naval drones. Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow and several other Russian regions for two consecutive nights. The attacks led to disruptions at 13 airports. Ukrainian drones fired into Russia on Wednesday hit military facilities and airbases, causing fires. Ukrainian troops have recaptured lost positions near the village of Lyptsi in Kharkiv region and have once again entered Tyotkino in Russia’s Kursk region.
The Ukrainian Parliament has ratified a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that Ukraine and the U.S. signed last week. Nearly half of Ukrainians (47 per cent) have positive expectations for the deal, a poll found.
Zelenskyi, Trump hold phone call
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump late on Thursday. The conversation focused on the battlefield situation and the ceasefire that the U.S. and Ukraine are trying to establish with Russia, Zelenskyi said on X. The two leaders also discussed a minerals deal ratified by the Ukrainian parliament.
“I had a good conversation with [the President of the United States]. We congratulated our nations on Victory in Europe Day — the victory over Nazism. We welcomed the Ukrainian Parliament’s ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement — a truly historic document that opens up many new opportunities for cooperation,” Zelenskyi said.
He added that the two discussed “continued efforts to achieve peace,” including “concrete steps.” Zelenskyi also briefed Trump on the battlefield situation and confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to embrace a 30-day ceasefire.
“I also informed him that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day ceasefire, starting even today. We are waiting for Russia to support this proposal. I also reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to engage in talks in any format. But for that, Russia must demonstrate the seriousness of its intentions to end the war, starting with a full unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyi said.
“President Trump confirmed that he wants this war to end, is ready to help, and supports the need for a ceasefire,” he added. Zelenskyi also said he and Trump “agreed on further contacts.”
