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Two people were injured and buildings damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian city as Putin mocked peace talks between the two countries.
Six drones struck Russia’s Belgorod oblast, which is located on Ukraine’s border, on Friday morning, according to the region’s governor.
Russian air defence shot down four of the drones, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. One caused a grass fire on the outskirts of Belgorod city, while the other struck the administrative building.
It comes as Vladimir Putin mocked planned Ukraine peace talks and claimed Russia would never accept “any schemes that have nothing to do with reality”.
Switzerland said it would host a peace conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of fighting.
But Putin claimed Moscow hadn’t been invited to join the talks, while pointing at Swiss recognition that a peace process can’t happen without Russia.
“They aren’t inviting us there. Moreover, they think there is nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say that’s it’s impossible to decide anything without us. It would have been funny if it weren’t so sad,” Putin said.
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Two people injured in Ukrainian drone attack on Russian city
Two people were injured and buildings damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian city as Putin mocked peace talks between the two countries.
Six drones struck Russia’s Belgorod oblast, which is located on Ukraine’s border, on Friday morning, according to the region’s governor.
Russian air defence shot down four of the drones, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. One caused a grass fire on the outskirts of Belgorod city, while the other struck the administrative building.
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Pro-Russian US national missing in eastern Ukraine, say police
A pro-Kremlin US national described as a “war correspondent” by Russian media is missing in eastern Ukraine.
Russell Bentley, born in 1960 and a supporter of Russian forces in Ukraine, went missing on 8 April in Donetsk, Ukraine.
The authorities did not provide details on his last known whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
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US House speaker in talks with White House on advancing Ukraine aid
House Speaker Mike Johnson is negotiating with the White House as he prepares for the treacherous task of advancing wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel through the House, a top House Republican said. House Republican Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that Johnson had been talking with White House officials about a package that would deviate from the Senate’s $95 billion foreign security package and include several Republican demands.
It comes after Johnson has delayed for months on advancing aid that would provide desperately needed ammunition and weaponry for Kyiv, trying to find the right time to advance a package that will be a painful political lift. “There’s been no agreement reached,” Scalise said. “Obviously there would have to an agreement reached not just with the White House, but with our own members.”
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Support from ‘indispensable’ US is vital for Ukraine’s survival, Japan PM says
Ukraine risks collapsing under Russia’s onslaught without American support and Washington should overcome its “self-doubt”, Japan’s prime minister told US lawmakers.
Fumio Kishida urged Americans not to doubt the country’s “indispensable” role in world affairs, and said Tokyo was undertaking historic military upgrades to support its ally.
Mr Kishida also warned a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden China and spark a new crisis in East Asia.
Source: independent.co.uk
