Russia maintains Ukraine strikes

Kiev (dpa) — Russia renewed its attacks on Ukraine’s energy supply overnight to Saturday, following talks in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at ending the war.

Russia carried out more than 10 strikes on Chuhuiv in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, Mayor Halyna Minayeva posted on Facebook.

Almost all of the town’s districts have been paralysed, Minayeva wrote. Energy suppliers would only be able to begin restoring power once the sites of the explosions have been fully examined.

The governor of the Zaporizhzhya region in south-eastern Ukraine, Ivan Fedorov, also reported fires as a result of Russian attacks. No one was injured, he said.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia attacked its neighbour during the night with 164 explosive-laden drones. Of these, 136 were repelled, with 27 hits recorded in 12 locations.

The latest strikes came shortly after Trump and Zelensky held talks in Washington on Friday. The US leader later urged Russia and Ukraine to immediately cease fighting, saying enough blood had been shed.

“They should stop where they are,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. However, both sides reportedly continued to attack by air.

The Ministry of Defence in Moscow reported that it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black Sea, including three over the Moscow region.

According to the aviation authority Rosaviatsiya, restrictions were imposed at nine airports in Russia for safety reasons.

In other but related news:

Trump-Zelensky Meeting Was ‘Bad’ – Axios

(RT.com) The Ukrainian leader left Washington without promises on Tomahawk missiles, the outlet’s sources say
Trump-Zelensky meeting was ‘bad’ – Axios

Friday’s White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky was “tense,” with the Ukrainian leader failing to secure deliveries of long-range Tomahawk missiles, Axios has reported, citing sources.

Trump told Zelensky he does not plan to provide Tomahawks “at least for now,” according to two people briefed on the meeting. The talks lasted around two and a half hours and were described by one source as “not easy,” and by another as “bad.” At times, the discussion “got a bit emotional,” the outlet said.

”Nobody shouted, but Trump was tough,” one source told Axios. The session ended abruptly when Trump reportedly said, “I think we’re done. Let’s see what happens next week,” possibly referring to upcoming Russia-US talks.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Zelensky declined to answer questions about Tomahawk deliveries, only saying the US “does not want escalation.”

Trump said “it’s not easy” for Washington to provide the missiles because it needs to maintain its own supplies for the nation’s own defense. He also acknowledged that allowing Kiev to conduct strikes deep into Russia could lead to an escalation.

Moscow has warned against supplying the missiles to Ukraine, arguing they would “not change the situation on the battlefield” but would “severely undermine the prospects of a peaceful settlement” and harm Russia-US relations.

Zelensky has sought Tomahawks – which have a maximum range of 2,500km (1,550 miles) – for weeks, insisting that Ukraine would only use them against military targets to increase pressure on Russia and move toward a peace deal. However, the Ukrainian leader has threatened Russia with blackouts in border regions and Moscow. Russian officials also suggested that Kiev is plotting to use the missiles for “terrorist attacks.”

The Trump-Zelensky meeting followed a phone call between Trump and Putin, after which both sides signaled plans for a summit in Budapest, Hungary, in the near future.

This article appeared at RT.com

Notes from APS Radio News

Where war is concerned, perhaps reciting or remembering this quote might be helpful:

The first casualty when war comes is truth.

Hiram Johnson, Speech, U.S. Senate. (1918)