Zelensky Says Russia Is Shifting Air Defenses To Moscow And Other Key Sites After Drone Strikes

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia is moving a important portion of its aerial defenses to protect a fistful of premier targets, including Moscow, arsenic Ukraine’s long-range drones hammered sites heavy wrong nan country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says.

In caller overnight strikes, Zelensky said Thursday that Kyiv’s forces deed 2 much Russian lipid refineries successful Ufa, 930 miles from nan beforehand line, and an lipid depot successful nan Krasnodar region, 180 miles from Ukraine.

In caller months, Ukraine has stepped up its aerial run against Russian subject installations and power facilities. Its occurrence has caused substance shortages and disrupted service proviso lines, stalling Moscow’s full-scale penetration aft much than 4 years of fighting.

Zelensky said successful his regular reside precocious Wednesday that Russia is moving much aerial defenses to nan superior arsenic good arsenic to Valdai, a municipality immoderate 300 miles northwest of Moscow and nan tract of a residence for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said they are besides protecting nan Kerch Bridge, a captious proviso way connecting nan Crimean Peninsula pinch nan Russian mainland.

“In nan Moscow region alone, they person amassed hundreds of launchers” for aerial defense missiles, Zelensky said. “Nearly 90 launchers person been redeployed to Valdai from different regions of Russia.”

It was not imaginable to independently verify Zelensky’s claims, which portrayed nan Russian activity arsenic caring much astir protecting itself than different cities and towns successful nan immense country. Russian officials made nary contiguous comment.

Ukrainian drones this period person deed Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest metropolis and Putin’s hometown. Ukraine is besides trying to trim disconnected Crimea, nan Black Sea peninsula that Russia invaded and illegally annexed successful 2014.

The changes, Zelensky suggested, would time off different parts of Russia susceptible to Ukraine’s progressively blase long-range drones, which tin now alert much than 930 miles.

“There are galore difficulties (for Russia), each because Putin refuses to extremity his warfare and to perceive our proposals for a meeting, genuine negotiations, and a honorable peace,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump but Putin has refused, and a twelvemonth of U.S.-led bid efforts made nary important headway.

Trump praises Zelensky

Western officials and analysts opportunity Ukraine’s prospects person improved aft much than 4 years of a grueling warfare of attrition arsenic its home improvement and accumulation of cutting-edge drones pin down nan bigger Russian army.

Trump, who antecedently has been captious of Zelensky, said Wednesday nan Ukrainian leader is “courageous” and “doing beautiful well” successful nan war.

Zelensky said he won pledges of sustained overseas support erstwhile he attended a caller acme of G7 leaders, including Trump, and that promised assistance will further thief Ukraine’s intensified campaign.

“Our operation, including nan 1 concerning Crimea, has been cautiously planned, and nan measurement it is unfolding intelligibly demonstrates that if Ukraine receives precisely what we discussed pinch our partners astatine nan G7 — and that depends connected our partners’ decisions — we will quickly create conditions successful which Russia will beryllium forced to take peace,” he said.

“We very overmuch dream for a affirmative consequence from our partners,” Zelensky added. “They cognize precisely what we are talking about.”

Ukraine is wary of its neighbour Belarus

Belarus, whose factories person played a cardinal domiciled successful supporting Moscow’s warfare effort, appears to person turned disconnected awesome repeaters connected its ungraded that Kyiv says were utilized to thief guideline Russian drone attacks connected Ukraine. Moscow launched its 2022 penetration of its confederate neighbour from Belarus.

Zelensky demanded past week that Belarus, which borders some Ukraine and Russia, region nan relay equipment. He threatened to return action against nan relay stations, presumably pinch a subject onslaught that could bring nan countries into nonstop conflict.

Ukrainian intelligence has wished that nan repeaters are now off, Zelensky told journalists.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said he precocious met pinch Zelensky’s representatives and warned them against utilizing unit against his country. At a gathering pinch nan politician of nan Moscow region, he said Belarus has nary volition of entering nan warfare and doesn’t want to conflict Ukraine but would “stand alongside Russia.”

Ukrainian subject officials connected Wednesday ordered a mandatory removal for nan astir 1,000 group still successful nan Chernihiv region bordering Russia and Belarus starting July 1.

The Institute for nan Study of War, a Washington-based deliberation tank, said Lukashenko is stepping a good statement successful nan war.

“Lukashenko continues to stall and deflect nan Kremlin’s intensified attempts to resistance Belarus into nan warfare successful Ukraine while maintaining comparatively neutral rhetoric towards Ukraine,” nan institute said.

Ukrainian Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, nan commandant of nan equipped forces, said past week that Ukraine is strengthening defenses connected its bluish border, including creating caller drone units there.

Russia targets Ukraine’s civilian state stations

Russia launched a ballistic rocket and 90 long-range drones astatine Ukraine overnight, nan Ukrainian aerial unit said.

One drone struck a state position Thursday successful Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, injuring 4 people, said location management caput Oleh Hryhorov, adding that Russian forces person attacked nan region’s state stations 13 times successful June alone.

A Russian overnight onslaught successful nan confederate metropolis of Zaporizhzhia injured 1 female and damaged a state station, according to location caput Ivan Fedorov.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that aerial defenses downed 269 Ukrainian drones from precocious Wednesday until early Thursday.

Several Russian airports temporarily restricted flights overnight during drone attacks.

In different developments, nan French navy intercepted an lipid tanker successful nan Mediterranean that is suspected of being portion of Russia’s alleged protector fleet of aging vessels of uncertain ownership and information practices that are dodging sanctions, French authorities said.

The Deliver, sailing nether nan emblem of Cameroon, had departed from nan Russian larboard of Primorsk, authorities said.

Novikov writes for nan Associated Press.