Russia on Friday claimed to have seized 10 settlements and downed more than 2,600 Ukrainian drones in the past week, and on the same day Ukraine said it struck Russian military targets including energy facilities and air defense systems.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Friday that over the past week, Russian forces carried out one large-scale strike and five cluster strikes, targeting Ukrainian military enterprises, energy and transportation infrastructure, air bases, and sites used for the assembly, storage, and launch of drones.
Russian forces had taken control of 10 settlements in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Russian air defense systems shot down a total of 2,628 fixed-wing drones, it said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the battlefield situation provides grounds to believe that the Ukraine crisis is approaching its conclusion, although it is impossible to specify a timeline for its end while hostilities continue.
Putin made the remarks at a press conference following the conclusion of his state visit to Kazakhstan, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
He said Russia's strikes on Kiev were carried out in response to Ukrainian attacks on the Lugansk region, adding that Russian forces are conducting offensives along the entire frontline of the special military operation zone.
Putin also described statements by some European politicians about preparing for war with Russia as "nonsense", saying Russia neither threatened European countries in the past nor does so now, but any location posing a direct military threat to Russia would be regarded as a "legitimate target".
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Friday that from Thursday night to Friday morning, Ukrainian soldiers attacked multiple Russian military targets, including energy facilities such as the Volgograd oil refinery in Russia, as well as supply depots, air defense systems, and drone command posts.
On Friday, air raid sirens sounded in Kiev, followed by the sound of explosions.
On Friday evening, the Ukrainian Air Force posted on social media that Russian forces had launched multiple missiles into Ukrainian territory.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia is preparing for a new round of large-scale attacks.
He emphasized that air defense is Ukraine's top priority at present and called on the United States and European nations not to further delay their support for Ukraines air defense.
It is reported that Ukraine is set to use the funds provided by European countries to procure equipment including the Patriot air defense system.
Russia claims seizing 10 settlements, Ukraine says attacking Russian energy facilities
Russia claims seizing 10 settlements, Ukraine says attacking Russian energy facilities
