Russia was forced to downsize its celebration parades honouring the navy on Sunday amid security threats from continuing Ukrainian drone attacks, Kremlin officials said.
Annual parades of Russian warships to mark the Navy Day were cancelled in St Petersburg, in the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic and in the far-eastern port of Vladivostok.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the cancellation of the parades and said it was ālinked to the overall situation, security reasons, which are above all elseā.
Russian forces downed nearly 100 Ukrainian drones over several regions from Saturday night into Sunday. The drone threat also forced the shutdown of St Petersburg Pulkovo airport, leading to the suspension of dozens of flights in the early hours of Sunday.
Meanwhile, Poland scrambled its warplanes in the early hours of Monday to protect its airspace after Russia launched missiles at western Ukraine, near the border with the Nato country. As of 1.30am GMT, most of Ukraine remained under air raid alerts.
Five injured in Russia’s overnight air attack on Kyiv
At least five people were injured in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital in the early hours today, officials said.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the military administration of Kyiv, said the Russian air attack left at least five people injured and damaged a residential building.
At 1.30am GMT, most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks.
Starmerās golf swing will be the least of his worries with Trump
Ukraine is among the top three concerns for the British prime minister. The Middle East may not even be Starmerās biggest international priority in these talks.
He is desperate for a solution to the Ukraine problem and recently, with Macron and Merz, has been pushing ahead with the ācoalition of the willingā to provide a safeguard for Ukraine after a peace deal.
He and Macron announced new details and plans for the coalition after the French presidentās recent state visit.
But they are moving ahead without the one thing they need ā a promise by the US to back them up militarily if things go wrong.
Trump has resisted this idea, much preferring to get a share of Ukraineās mineral resources. He has shown no interest at all in Starmerās plan. But the British prime minister needs somehow to get him on side today.
Russia accuses Kyiv and the West of rejecting diplomacy to end war
Russia prefers political and diplomatic means to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but Kyiv and the West reject that path, Russian news agencies reported yesterday, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“Our preferred route is through political and diplomatic means,” Mr Peskov said, according to TASS state news agency.
The Russian official added, without providing evidence, that Moscow continued its military operation in Ukraine because “all proposals for dialogue were rejected, both by Ukraine and by Western countriesā.
ICYMI: Five dead after Ukraine and Russia trade drone and missile attacks
In Ukraineās Dnipro region on Saturday, three people died in Russian shelling, while two were killed in Russiaās Rostov region after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Ten missiles and 25 drones found their targets, striking nine locations, while air defences shot down or intercepted the rest, according to Ukraineās Air Force.
Jabed Ahmed reports:
EU urges Ukraine to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has urged Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies as she also promised continued support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
“Ukraine has already achieved a lot on its European path. It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine’s rule of law,” Ms von der Leyen said in a post on X after a call with Mr Zelensky.
“Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path,” she added.
First direct commercial flight launched between Russia and North Korea
Russia has inaugurated a new regular air service between Moscow and Pyongyang, a development underscoring the deepening relationship between the two nations.
The inaugural flight, operated by Russian carrier Nordwind, departed Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport yesterday with more than 400 passengers aboard. Russia’s transport ministry confirmed plans for one monthly flight to accommodate demand.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited North Korea’s new Wonsan-Kalma beach resort earlier this month to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, promised to encourage Russian tourists to visit the complex.
Poland scrambles aircraft after Russia launches missiles at Ukraine
Polish and allied aircraft were activated in the early hours today to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched missiles strikes targeting western Ukraine, near the border with the Poland, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.
At 1.30am GMT, most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts following Ukrainian Air Force warnings of Russian missile and drone attacks.
Russia scales down Navy Day celebrations amid Ukrainian drone attacks
Russia was forced to scale down the festivities honouring its navy as continuing Ukrainian drone attacks posed a challenge.
Russian authorities cancelled the parades of warships in St Petersburg, in the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic and in the far-eastern port of Vladivostok that are usually held to mark the annual Navy Day celebrations.
Asked about the reason for the cancellation of the parade in St Petersburg even as president Vladimir Putin arrived in his home city to visit the navy headquarters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “it’s linked to the overall situation, security reasons, which are above all else”.
