In a significant development, Russia has declared that it reserves the right to strike military facilities of countries assisting Kyiv in its attacks deep into Russian territory. This announcement comes as Russia and Ukraine are set to discuss proposals for a ceasefire during their upcoming round of talks.
The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Moscow views itself as having the authority to use its weaponry against military sites of nations that enable Kyiv to utilize long-range weaponry against Russia. Zakharova remarked to the press:
“Russia considers itself authorized to deploy its arms against the military installations of countries that allow Kyiv to employ long-range weapons against us. Should the conflict escalate, we will respond firmly and in kind.”
She further clarified that the use of long-range systems requires direct involvement from military specialists of the producing countries, indicating that German military personnel would be directly engaged in planning and executing combat operations against Russia if the Taurus missiles or their variants are deployed under different names.
Zakharova emphasized that remarks made by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius regarding German soldiers’ readiness to kill Russian troops indicate that NATO has become increasingly unhinged. In a related statement, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev asserted that the West is effectively waging a comprehensive war against Russia.
Medvedev added that Moscow should respond thoroughly and consider preemptive strikes if necessary. He pointed out that while Russia has no intentions of attacking NATO or Europe, should the West escalate the war in Ukraine further, Moscow must respond and carry out preemptive strikes.
The Kremlin refrained from commenting on Medvedev’s statements but acknowledged his point regarding the confrontational atmosphere in Europe. In response to inquiries about these proposals, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that he would not elaborate since he represents President Vladimir Putin, not Medvedev, but noted that the former president possesses substantial experience and was expressing his own opinion.
In a related context, NATO’s forces commander, Alexis Greenkwich, announced that preparations are underway to swiftly transfer additional Patriot defense systems to Ukraine at a time when the country is facing the most intense Russian attacks seen in the ongoing conflict.
During a conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, he commented: “We are preparing and working closely with Germany to transfer the Patriot systems. I have been instructed to act as quickly as possible.”
Ceasefire Discussions
Yesterday, Russia revealed plans to discuss a ceasefire memorandum with Ukraine in the upcoming third round of negotiations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that this session will cover drafts of ceasefire agreements exchanged in the previous round.
Peskov explained that the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, is in direct contact with the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustam Umerov. Meanwhile, Russia returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who died in combat, and received 19 Russian soldiers’ remains in return, as reported by a Russian negotiator.
The Russian negotiator, who is also a Kremlin advisor, Vladimir Medinsky, shared via Telegram that upon the agreements made in Istanbul, Ukraine received an additional 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, noting that Ukraine handed over more than 19 Russian bodies.
Photos were published by Medinsky showing individuals in white medical attire loading body bags into refrigerated trucks. Additionally, a coordinating center confirmed the receipt of 1,000 corpses, with the Russian side stating these belong to Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel, and that identification processes are ongoing.
On the battlefield, the Russian Defense Ministry announced yesterday that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones over several regions.
The statement indicated that 43 drones were destroyed over Bryansk, 38 over Kursk, 10 over Oryol, 6 over Smolensk, 6 over Voronezh, 5 over Belgorod, 3 over Moscow, 3 over Kaluga, 3 over Crimea, two drones over Leningrad region, and one drone over Tula region. The governor of Voronezh, Alexander Gusiev, reported that three minors were injured when drone debris fell on an apartment building in the city.
Additionally, the Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported that a woman died when a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive on her home. Conversely, two individuals were killed and over 20 wounded by a Russian airstrike on a square in the town of Dobrobylya, near the frontline.
Authorities are concerned about potential survivors trapped under the rubble. Regional authorities in Dobrobylya stated that Russia dropped a 500-kilogram bomb on the town, located 20 kilometers from the frontline.
Furthermore, the Russian Defense Ministry declared that its forces have taken control of three towns in three different regions of Ukraine. The towns mentioned are Kamyanski in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Dihytyarn in the eastern Kharkiv region, and Boby Yar in the eastern Donetsk region.