Russia reports downing 660 drones as Ukraine plans "preemptive attacks"

Russian authorities reported intercepting 660 Ukrainian drones overnight across more than a dozen regions, including Moscow. Concurrently, explosions were heard in Kyiv, with the Ukrainian air force indicating a missile targeted the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Kyiv intends to conduct "preemptive attacks" on Russian territory. The Kremlin attributed Ukrainian strikes to deteriorating front-line conditions for Kyiv, asserting Russian forces are advancing "along the entire front" and forecasting "irreversible" consequences. Separately, Russian attacks on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia oblast injured at least 16 people, striking warehouses, an administrative building, and the regional center. Russian-occupied Crimea declared an "emergency situation" due to a fuel crisis exacerbated by recent Ukrainian attacks. The European Council extended economic sanctions against Russia until summer 2027, and a €90 billion European loan's first installment was disbursed to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged "mutual respect" and "understanding of history" between Poles and Ukrainians at a reconstruction conference in Gdansk.

Sources: Le Monde — International