Ukraine plans preemptive strikes as EU disburses loan and Russia claims advances

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated Kyiv's intent to "preemptively attack installations" within Russian territory. This declaration comes as the Kremlin, through spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, maintains that Ukraine's strikes on Russia are a consequence of its worsening front-line position, asserting that Russian forces are advancing "along the entire front" and predicting "irreversible" outcomes for Kyiv. Conversely, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz affirmed that Kyiv "remains strong, the support of Europe does not weaken." In a separate development, a first installment of a €90 billion European loan has been disbursed to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also urged "mutual respect" and "understanding of history" between Poles and Ukrainians at a reconstruction conference. Ukraine has advised vigilance regarding "mobilization exercises" in Belarus's Grodno region, while Russian forces continue to pressure rear-front areas like Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

Sources: Le Monde — International