United News of Bangladesh

Russian strikes killed at least seven people, including three children, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, officials said Saturday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy diesel from Russia that Kyiv warned could help finance Moscow's war. Russian aerial bombs struck residential buildings in the region, killing seven people and injuring at least 10 others, said Mykhailo Semikin, head of the regional military administration. Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range airstrikes, while fighting on the front line remains largely deadlocked, more than four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. Ukraine has been struggling to counter increasingly intense Russian attacks that have killed more than 55 people over the past four days. The latest strikes came a day after Trump announced a deal to purchase diesel from Russia, reversing years of US pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. The move is also aimed at addressing rising fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. Trump said on social media Friday that he reached the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call that had been expected to focus on a suspected plague case in Russia. Under the deal, Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes “immediately thereafter”. Russia will deliver an additional three million tonnes “within a short period of time”, Trump said. The announcement appeared to contradict a sweeping Russia sanctions law Trump signed last month, which sought to restrict Moscow's oil and gas revenues used to finance its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the deal in a lengthy social media post, warning that Russia would repay it with “further terror and perfidy”. He argued that the agreement would help Moscow prolong the war. “It plays into Russia's hands — allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,” Zelenskyy said. In a statement released by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, Zelenskyy described the agreement as “a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners”. Trump announced the deal while his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the war. “I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen. And that is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” Zelenskyy said.

Russian aerial attacks forced the partial closure of three bridges over the Dnipro River in Kyiv on Friday, disrupting traffic across the Ukrainian capital in what officials described as Moscow’s latest tactic to disrupt daily life. At the same time, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had received separate proposals from the United States, India, Turkey and Egypt for limited ceasefires with Russia. The proposals call for a halt to attacks on energy facilities and commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Strikes on energy infrastructure have contributed to fuel shortages in Russia and power outages in Ukraine, while Black Sea shipping is vital for Ukraine’s grain exports to global markets. The strikes that led to the closure or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges caused major traffic jams. The attacks appeared to represent a new approach in Russia’s campaign against the capital. Russia has previously targeted apartment buildings, supermarket warehouses, gas stations and data centers, among other sites, as its aerial attacks have intensified. The air campaign has increased in recent months as fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line across northern, eastern and southern Ukraine has largely stalled. Russia invaded Ukraine more than 4½ years ago, but there are still no clear signs of a possible peace agreement. Ukraine, however, has made some gains against Russia’s larger military this year, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The Washington-based think tank said in a report Thursday that Russian forces lost control of nearly 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) between March and September. It also estimated that Russia suffered more than 46,000 military casualties in September, the highest monthly figure this year. The report did not provide an estimate of Ukrainian casualties. Zelenskyy says sanctions could curb Russian drones and missilesRussia launched more than 100 drones at Ukraine overnight, striking Kyiv and eight other regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Nearly half of the drones were jet-powered models, which he said are particularly difficult to intercept. One drone struck a high-rise apartment building in Kyiv, killing one person, Zelenskyy said. At least four others were reported injured elsewhere. Zelenskyy again urged other countries to close loopholes in sanctions against Russia and impose additional restrictions on Russian trade. He said Russian drones and missiles are “critically dependent” on foreign-made components. “Every Russian drone can actually be stopped right at the production line,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Ukraine has also carried out long-range drone and missile attacks inside Russia, targeting military production facilities and oil refineries. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses had shot down 646 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. One person was injured in Russia’s southwestern Volgograd region, Gov. Andrei Bocharov said. He said the attack targeted “industrial infrastructure” but gave no further details. Ukraine open to limited truce on energy and Black Sea attacksSybiha said the proposals from the four countries marked the first time India had offered to help mediate the conflict. India has sought to maintain its relationship with Russia while also strengthening ties with the United States and other Western countries. A proposed new US sanctions package against Russia could impose tariffs of up to 100% on New Delhi because India remains a major buyer of Russian oil. Sybiha said Kyiv was prepared to accept a ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure, including Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid and Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. He also said the truce should cover commercial vessels carrying grain and other agricultural products through the Black Sea. “We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in that combination. Energy and a ceasefire in the Black Sea,” Sybiha told reporters Thursday. He again offered an unconditional ceasefire along the front line. Moscow, however, has rejected such a proposal, saying a comprehensive peace agreement should be reached instead of a temporary truce. Ukraine says Russia stockpiling ballistic missilesSybiha said Ukraine was asking partner countries for about 300 Patriot missiles, citing intelligence estimates that Russia has around 600 ballistic missiles in reserve and can produce as many as 140 more each month. The US-made Patriot air defense system is considered effective against ballistic missiles, which travel at high speeds and descend steeply. However, the systems and missiles are in limited supply amid the war in Iran. Ukraine seeks urgent funding for drone productionSybiha said Ukraine urgently needs additional funding to secure future drone production and avoid shortages early next year. Kyiv faces an estimated budget deficit of about $27 billion this year. The European Union has pledged to help cover Ukraine’s financial needs and strengthen its defense capabilities. Russia is also facing economic and financial pressure because of high military spending and rising debt.

Russian forces launched a fresh wave of missile, drone and glide-bomb attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least nine civilians, officials said Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meanwhile warned that Russia is receiving additional military support from North Korea as Moscow continues its more than four-year invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said Russian forces used North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine. Local officials said six people were killed and 19 others injured in the attack. Three more people, including a 15-year-old boy, were killed in Russian drone and artillery strikes in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to local authorities. Zelenskyy said late Monday that Russia had received more ballistic missiles from North Korea and was preparing to deploy additional North Korean troops. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement more than two years ago, pledging mutual assistance if either country comes under attack. North Korea has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine. Analysts say its cooperation with Moscow is also helping strengthen North Korea's military capabilities. Zelenskyy warned that the combat experience gained by North Korean forces in the war could later pose a threat to other countries in the region. Ukraine has also accused Russia of increasing ballistic missile production to take advantage of Kyiv's shortage of Patriot air defence interceptors, which are among the few systems capable of intercepting such missiles. Kyiv also says Moscow is preparing to increase recruitment for a new offensive along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine. "Every step Russia takes — increasing ballistic missile production, bringing in North Korean equipment, preparing for mobilization — all of this shows that Moscow is preparing not for peace, but for escalation," Zelenskyy said in a social media post. US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war have made little progress, while Washington has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of movement toward a settlement and has shifted attention to the war in Iran. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the Kremlin is unlikely to engage in serious negotiations or make significant concessions as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin believes his military can still achieve his objectives. The think tank also warned that Ukraine's shortage of Patriot interceptors could allow Russia to inflict serious damage over the coming winter, potentially prolonging the war and delaying meaningful negotiations. Children's hospital hit in Kyiv Russian forces also attacked parts of Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian officials said. One strike hit the grounds of a children's hospital, leaving two craters and breaking windows, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Children and medical staff were sheltering in bomb shelters at the time, and no one was injured. Another Russian strike caused a fire at a warehouse in the capital that spread over about 1,200 square metres, emergency officials said. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted "military industrial facilities and transport and logistics centers" in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia using ground-based precision weapons. It said drone storage facilities in Kyiv and a metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia were among the targets. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv with Zircon anti-ship missiles and Iskander ballistic missiles, while launching 120 long-range drones of various types across Ukraine. Wildberries facilities attacked The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted nearly 400 Ukrainian drones overnight over 14 Russian regions and occupied Crimea. Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, said its logistics facilities in the Voronezh region near the Ukrainian border were attacked and caught fire. The company said the fire had been extinguished and most of the goods stored there were not damaged. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Wildberries warehouses as part of its campaign against Russian economic infrastructure. Kyiv has also carried out strikes on Russian oil facilities, saying the attacks are aimed at pressuring Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Russian independent outlet Astra reported that an oil refinery in Orsk, about 1,300 kilometres from Ukraine's border, was hit and published images showing smoke rising from the facility. There was no official confirmation of an attack on the Orsk refinery, which has been targeted in previous attacks.