On the 'Day of Defenders,' Ukraine pays tribute to its veterans and fallen soldiers, especially those currently defending the country. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry lauds these soldiers as 'courageous and undefeatable.' Meanwhile, Kyiv faces continued drone attacks, with 32 drones reportedly launched by Russia overnight, of which 29 were shot down. The situation at the front remains tense, with President Zelenskyy describing it as 'very, very difficult.'
In Moscow, three journalists were arrested at an event marking the anniversary of Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions. This follows a court sentencing journalist Maria Menshikova to seven years in absentia for encouraging letters to prisoners involved in arson attacks. Ukraine also expresses anger toward Switzerland for supporting a peace plan by China and Brazil, which Kyiv finds unacceptable without explicit references to the UN Charter and Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Amid these developments, the U.S. may soon permit long-range attacks on Russia, while efforts to repatriate Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories continue. Ukraine's call for more Western weapons persists, although experts argue that a complete victory over Russia remains unlikely.
