Ukraine-Russia war latest: Two dead in Russian strikes as Putin warns of ‘massive’ retaliation for refinery attack – UK Times

At least two people were killed and another ⁠two wounded after Russia hit the northeastern Ukrainian ⁠region ​of Sumy ⁠with bombs, drones ⁠and missiles.

Another five, including three children, ‌needed medical assistance ‌after Russia hit Ukraine’s ⁠second-largest city of Kharkiv with bombs, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.

The attacks come after Russia vowed to launch a “massive” retaliation against Ukraine after Kyiv launched its biggest attack on Russia.

At least two people were killed and another ⁠two wounded after Russia hit the northeastern Ukrainian ⁠region ​of Sumy ⁠with bombs, drones ⁠and missiles.

Another five, including three children, ‌needed medical assistance ‌after Russia hit Ukraine’s ⁠second-largest city of Kharkiv with bombs, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.

The attacks come after Russia vowed to launch a “massive” retaliation against Ukraine after Kyiv launched its biggest attack on Russia.

Ukraine launched a powerful barrage of drones on Moscow, triggering a huge explosion in one of the Russian capital’s key oil refineries.

Kyiv’s strategic deployment of medium-range drones is inflicting significant damage on Russia’s struggling war effort, experts have said as Moscow’s ground offensive stalls.

Kyiv has scaled up its targeting of Russia’s critical oil infrastructure, the lifeblood of the Kremlin’s wartime economy, as part of a wider campaign to weaken its capacity to continue its war on Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin has hailed Russia’s ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc.

The leaders who took part in the meeting in Kazan agreed to further expand “strategic partnership” between Russia and Asean nations that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam.

“It is a strategic partnership that serves as an essential stabilizing factor in the Asia-Pacific amidst geopolitical turbulence, contributing to the formation of a balanced security architecture and equitable mutually beneficial cooperation,” Putin said at the summit, which marked the 35th anniversary of Russia-Asean relations.

Putin noted that Russia and Asean have “expanded the scope of practical cooperation in such areas as combating new security challenges and threats, as well as trade and investment, energy, agriculture, digitalization, science and technology, tourism, and humanitarian contacts.

“In a declaration signed at the summit, its participants reaffirmed their shared aspiration toward a “just multipolar world as guided by international law and the principles of the UN Charter to promote mutual benefit and respect for all states.”

Russian forces struck Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs in the early hours of Friday after Moscow vowed to retaliate against Ukraine’s biggest attack.

Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attack hit the city’s Kholodnohirskyi district and damaged almost 15 homes and injured people.

“As a result of the KAB strike on the Kholodnohirskyi district of Kharkiv, there are injured people. Their number and condition are being clarified,” Terekhov said.

The EU leaders have agreed to extend sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine for another 12 months.

The decision was taken during a European Council summit in Brussels, which saw the participation of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

The decision marked the first ‌time ⁠such sanctions, which target certain sectors of the ​Russian ​economy, ⁠have been renewed for ​a year. They ​had ⁠previously been rolled over every ⁠six ​months.

Ukraine wants to end the war this year, pesident Volodymyr Zelensky said in comments posted on Telegram.

“Of course, we want to end this war before winter – through diplomacy and by putting pressure on Russia. But we understand who we’re dealing with,” he said.”Putin is war,” he added, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine would need gas, diesel fuel, the energy equipment and a missile package of at least 300 missiles if the war extends further, Zelensky said.

The security of Europe depended on securing funding for Ukraine’s military, and the EU and the “coalition of the willing” countries supporting Kyiv could develop the financial instruments to ensure that, he added.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told an EU summit that the future of Europe was being shaped by the defence of Ukraine and the best security guarantee for the bloc’s future would be to grant ⁠Kyiv fast-track membership.

Zelensky said he told member states that Ukraine wanted the war against Russia to be over by the end of the year and urged them to help Kyiv prepare for another winter with air defence missiles and fuel.

Every democratic nation in Europe deserved to be in the EU and “Ukraine merits this because it has paid more than any other country for its right to be free, independent and … European”, Zelensky said in excerpts of his address posted on X.

“The future of Europe – free, united and ⁠of course in peace – is being decided in our defence. That shows how unique ​our situation ⁠is.

“Hours earlier, Ukrainian air strikes struck targets deep inside Russia, including an oil refinery in Moscow, the latest long-range attacks in a campaign Zelensky highlighted as proof of Ukraine’s capabilities in meetings with US president Donald Trump and other G7 leaders in France this week.

The ​European Union should take advantage of “momentum” around peace ⁠talks in Ukraine to push ahead with efforts ⁠to ​reopen negotiations ⁠with Russian president ⁠Vladimir Putin, Austrian chancellor ​Christian ⁠Stocker told ‌the Financial Times in an interview ‌published on Thursday.

“Wars ‌end not with weapons, but ⁠with successful diplomacy. And for diplomacy to be successful, you need conversations, you need negotiations, ‌and those ​channels need ‌to ⁠be opened first,” Stocker ⁠told the newspaper.