A hail of Ukrainian drones hit Russia last night as a group of soldiers from Kiev attempted to land in Crimea. The attacks come at the height of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, with Kiev having to deal with uncertainty over the future supply of weapons and ammunition from Western allies, especially after the suspension of the American Congress. “I am convinced that the USA will remain with us and Europe will also be on our side”, said Volodymyr Zelensky confidently interviewed by Sky Tg24, thanking Italy and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for their support. And the Ukrainian president also expressed his desire to receive Pope Francis: “The Pope was invited by me to Ukraine, I would be very happy if he came to Ukraine.”
Russia, through its Defense Ministry, reported having shot down 31 Kiev drones in border regions, in what could be the largest cross-border attack on Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its invasion 20 months ago. And according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry, the Air Force also thwarted a Ukrainian attempt to land a group of soldiers in the western part of the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. But for Kiev there was a landing: “The men of the ‘Stuhna’ and ‘Bratstvo’ special forces, as part of the Timur special forces unit” of the Ukrainian military intelligence (Gur), landed on the territory of the Kiev peninsula. Crimea and hit the occupants of Moscow”, reported Kiev military intelligence, attaching a video of the landing with a Ukrainian flag. According to Moscow, the enemy group attempted to land on Cape Tarkhankut, using a high-speed boat and three jet skis. The peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 in a move not recognized internationally, was a key support center for last year’s invasion and is now an increasingly frequent target of Ukrainian attacks, which aim to regain control.
In this situation it is not surprising that, according to Zelensky, Russia is not interested in peace initiatives: “Some contacts were made with the Vatican, Turkey was also involved in trying to carry out diplomatic action, but the result is always the Indeed, no one has succeeded, not because the leaders are not strong”, but because “this goes against the will of the President of Russia” Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, in his opinion, the threat of nuclear weapons “is not a manifestation of strength, but of weakness, because it means that other methods, such as field battle and diplomacy, did not bring the desired result.”
Source: IL Tempo

John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.