Russia launches missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing at least six, a day after one of its biggest attacks on the country. Ukraine does not aim to occupy the Kursk region, Zelenskyi says. Ukraine to present Biden admin with targets it could hit in Russia, given the chance, according to Politico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia launched missiles and drones into Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, a day after one of its biggest attacks on the country. Explosions rocked Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Rivne, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and the region of Khmelnytskyi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Tuesday\u2019s attack, Ukraine downed five out of 10 incoming missiles and 60 out of 81 drones, according to Ukrainian Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia used three Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, an Iskander-M ground-launched ballistic missile, an Iskander-K ground-launched cruise missile, and five Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles in the attack. Ukraine\u2019s air defenses shot down all five Kh-101 cruise missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ukrainian Air Force lost track of 10 more drones that have likely come down somewhere on its territory. One more crossed into Belarusian territory; 10 more were still flying around in Ukraine\u2019s airspace on Tuesday morning, Oleshchuk said in a Telegram post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s missile and drone strike killed at least six people and wounded 16 others. Three people were killed when a hotel in Kryvyi Rih was struck by a missile. Five more people were saved from under the rubble. \u201cOne person is missing. Rescue teams continue to work at the site of the tragedy,\u201d head of the Dnipropetrovska regional military administration, Serhiy Lysak said. Three people died in drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Ukraine\u2019s military incursion into Russia\u2019s Kursk region aims to prevent Russia from creating a buffer zone in the Ukrainian territory. Ukraine does not occupy the Kursk region, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is defense, we prevent [Russia] from creating buffer zones in our territory. We are using every possibility of defense inside Russia to prevent [Russia] from occupying our land. We were not the first to begin this \u2014 they have already occupied 27 per cent of our land. We are doing this so that they don\u2019t occupy more. We don\u2019t need foreign land or foreign people,\u201d Zelenskyi told a news conference Tuesday that followed a panel at the Ukraine 2024. Independence forum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kursk incursion has resulted in \u201cseveral things.\u201d It particularly prevented Russia from occupying Kharkiv region, Zelenskyi said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had information that [Russia plans to] create buffer zones in Kharkiv region and later on in the north. Without knowing the details we realized that Sumy and Chernihiv regions can be part of [Russia\u2019s] plan. This is what reports by our intelligence and intelligence of partner countries told us,\u201d Zelenskyi said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kursk incursion prevented Russia from occupying Sumy and Chernihiv regions, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine does not annex territories or amend its laws or Constitution, Zelenskyi said, adding that Ukrainian troops treat Russian civilians better than Russian forces treat Ukrainians. \u201cOur people are simply better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey do not approach civilians of a hostile country like savages, but like humans. Do you think the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces or I called them to say: \u2018Take a bucket of water to the granny?\u2019 Our troops are just normal people. Of course there can be different situations. It is important for us not to be like those who brought the war here \u2014 not to loot, rape etc. I am very proud of our troops, proud that we do not have anything close to that,\u201d Zelenskyi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian officials are preparing to present a list of long-range targets in Russia to top U.S. national security officials that they think Kyiv\u2019s military can hit if Washington were to lift its restrictions on U.S. weapons, according to Politico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine is using the list as a last-ditch effort to convince Washington to lift the restrictions on U.S. weapons being used inside Russia. While Ukraine has previously provided the U.S. some of its potential targets in Russia, this list is supposed to be more tailored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, and Andriy Yermak, senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will be in D.C. this week and plan to present the list to the administration during their discussions, according to three people familiar with Ukraine\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While escalation is still a concern, the Biden administration has more recently been stressing its belief that there is little tactical advantage, given Russia moving assets out of range. The administration also assesses that Ukraine does not have enough Army Tactical Missile Systems \u2014 the long-range missiles it wants to use \u2014 to strike the high-value targets in Russia. Kyiv is using many of those missiles in their offensives inside Crimea \u2014 a battle the Biden administration assesses is going well for Ukraine. And the U.S. has a limited stockpile of ATACMs it can draw on to send Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukrainian officials and lawmakers insist that the lifting of all restrictions is imperative to the country\u2019s war effort, claiming it would give its military greater freedom to take the fight to Russia inside its own borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is not clear exactly when Umerov and Yermak will arrive in Washington or what other meetings they plan to have while in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some Ukrainian lawmakers and officials say they\u2019ve seen signs that some in the Biden administration are considering lifting the restrictions in the coming days. A Democratic lawmaker with knowledge of the conversations also said the administration was considering Kyiv\u2019s request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelenskyy and Biden spoke by phone on Friday, but did not specifically discuss the request to lift the restrictions, according to a U.S. official briefed on the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kyiv and Washington are in talks for Biden and Zelenskyy to meet in-person at the U.N. General Assembly in New York next month, the U.S. official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n