Ukraine launched a surprise attack in the Belgorod region of Russia, according to reports. The surprise move—with “heavy battles” underway—comes hours before Vladimir Putin is due to speak to Donald Trump on the phone about a war ceasefire. Reports were contradictory about whether Ukrainians had penetrated nearby villages Grafovka, Prilesye and Demidovka, with some reports insisting they had done so. The authorities were urgently evacuating residents from Grafovka village.
“At the moment, there has been no breakthrough of the border; border guards are fighting together with units of the Russian Ministry of Defence,” said war channel Two Majors. But it showed a video of a Ukrainian military vehicle ablaze on the border after a drone strike. Another Telegram report said: “Since the night they began to pull equipment and people to the junction of the Belgorod and Kursk regions. By the morning the enemy’s IMR [combat engineering vehicles] had cleared the passages in Prilesye, Grafovka and Demidovka. And then they went – tanks, quad bikes, infantry. Serious battles are underway.”
The news comes ahead of Trump’s call with Putin, which will occur between 1pm and 3pm UK time. Last night, Trump claimed “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains” to be discussed. He added that he “very much looked forward to” speaking with Putin.
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Four NATO allies and Baltic states to unban landmines over Russia threat
Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia have all withdrawn from the Ottowa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines due to the threat from Russia.
Their defence ministers said in a joint statement: “Military threats to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased.”
Anti-personnel mines are designed to use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which target vehicles.
The UK banned then in 1997 when it signed the treaty.
Kremlin insider calls for WAR with UK day before Trump-Putin call: ‘We’ll kill you all!’
Russia unleashed its leading TV propagandist to warn that British and French troops face death if they are deployed to Ukraine. Frothing with fury, Vladimir Solovyov raged: “You can station them wherever you want. We will kill you all, and we will kill you all just as we killed all of you who came to Kursk [region] and did not have time to run away or surrender. We will kill you all.” His message echoes senior Russian security council official Dmitry Medvedev who predicted World War Three if Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron deploy troops from their proposed “coalition of the willing” in Ukraine.
Solovyov – whose propaganda is choreographed with the Kremlin – ranted that Russians could march across Europe and storm Macron’s capital. “If necessary, we will enter Paris,” he told viewers across Russia’s 11 time zones. “We have no experience of entering London, by the way.” The eruption comes just one day before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin pick up the phone to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
Last night, Trump claimed “many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains” to be discussed. He added that he “very much looked forward to” speaking with Putin.
US and Russia have ‘certain understanding’ ahead of Trump-Putin call
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the US and Russia have a “certain understanding” regarding what’s to come during Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s call.
The presidents are due to speak betweem 1pm and 3pm UK time.
Russia confirms time of Trump-Putin phone call to happen in mere hours
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin will happen between 4pm and 6pm Moscow time, according to a post on Telegram.
This is between 1pm and 3pm UK time.
He said the leaders will speak for “as long as they deem necessary”.
Donald Trump can bring lasting peace to Ukraine, foreign minister says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Donald Trump can bring peace to his country ahead of the president’s meeting with Vladimir Putin.
He added that Kyiv was waiting for their call to get more clarity on the peace process as Russia has so far been reluctant to accept a ceasefire.
He said: “We are not the obstacle to achieving peace … we really expect from Russian side unconditional yes for ceasefire.
“Our approach: now is a time for diplomacy, for a strong diplomacy. We also really believe that with leadership of President Trump we could achieve long-lasting, just peace.”
Russia and Ukraine trade strikes overnight as Kyiv downs 63 drones
Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed 63 Russian drones overnight, while another 64 got “locationally lost”.
The lost drones would not have caused any damage as they were likely diverted via electronic jamming.
Russia also said it downed 46 Ukrainian drones, 41 of which were over the border region of Belgorod.
Russia downs 46 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia’s defence ministry said air defence units shot down 46 Ukrainian drones overnight, 41 of which were over the Belgorod border region.
Others were downed over Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said one persion was injured and several houses damaged in an overnight attack.
Russian offensive persists in southern Ukraine as troops make gains
Russian troops have reportedly advances in southern Ukraine less than 30 miles southeast of Zaporizhzhia.
The defence ministry said the village of Stepove had been taken, pushing past Ukrainian lines, however this has not been confirmed by Kyiv.
Pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka said Russian forces also stormed the village of Maly Shcherbaky.
He wrote: “Our units have broken through the first line of defence in the Zaporizhzhia direction.”
Putin unleashes fearsome heavy flamethrower – ‘most terrible conventional weapon in world’
Vladimir Putin has ramped up his war ahead of peace talks today with Donald Trump.
The Russians deployed TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrowers in support of advancing troops in the Kharkiv region.
The weapon has been called “the most terrible [conventional] weapon in the world”, using munitions that disperse a fuel aerosol and explode the resulting gas cloud.
The Solntsepek has also been called a “poor man’s nuclear weapon” as, though not atomic, it causes horrific devastation, often leaving only charred human skeletons within a blast radius of 1,000ft, rupturing lungs and leaving no hope of survival with a blast temperature as high as 3,000°C.
Russian troops have used a new frightening weapon. (Image: East2West)
Trump says ‘much remains’ to be discussed ahead of Putin call
Donald Trump said he has already agreed on “many elements” of a Ukraine ceasefire ahead of his call with Vladimir Putin.
However, he added that “much remains” to be discussed.
He wrote on his platform Truth Social: “Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to President Putin concerning the War in Ukraine. Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.
“Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin.”
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to our live blog covering all the latest updates from the Russia-Ukraine war. Following along throughout the day for live updates.
