The war in Ukraine, year 2, day 70. Zelensky is expected to speak in The Hague / Explosions in Kiev and Odesa

Kiev: 12 out of 15 drones shot down in Odessa, no casualties. The dormitories of the schools hit

Russian forces launched 15 drones on Odesa overnight, 12 of which were destroyed: Kiev’s Southern Operational Command announced on Facebook, adding that three planes hit the dormitories of a school without causing injuries or casualties. This was reported by Rbc-Ukraine. “In Odesa at night, the enemy sent an attack of 15 Shahed-131/136,” the report states: 12 enemy drones were shot down by air defense forces and mobile fire groups, while “three drones hit the dormitories of one of the educational institutions in Odessa. A fire was quickly extinguished. No one was injured.” The command published images of some of the remains of the drones with the words “For Moscow” and “For the Kremlin”.

Moscow: We will respond to the attack on the Kremlin when we consider it necessary

Moscow will respond to the attack on the Kremlin when it considers it necessary, reported the Russian ambassador to the UN, Anatoli Antonov, writes Tass. “What would Americans do if a drone hit the White House, the Capitol or the Pentagon? The answer is obvious to anyone: the punishment would be harsh and inevitable. Russia will respond to this act of reckless and arrogant terrorism. He will answer when he considers it necessary. It will respond based on assessments of the threat that Kiev has created for the leadership of our country,” he said, calling the comments by Washington officials “surprisingly cynical and absurd.”

CNN: Kiev officials called White House to ‘deny involvement in Kremlin attack’

Ukrainian government officials have privately contacted the White House to “deny direct involvement” of Kiev in yesterday’s drone strike against the Kremlin, which Russia has denounced as an assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin. It was written by the television station “CNN”, which quotes anonymous sources from the White House. US State Department deputy spokesman Verdant Patel said Washington had always discouraged Ukraine from carrying out attacks inside Russian territory, but added that the United States would continue “to support our Ukrainian partners as long as necessary “.

USA: The threat of Russian attacks on Kiev is increasing

The United States has warned American citizens in Ukraine of an increased threat with Russian missile attacks on Kiev, the US Embassy in Kiev reports on its website. “In light of recent attacks in Ukraine and inflammatory rhetoric from Moscow, the State Department is warning American citizens of the increased threat of missile attacks, including in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast,” the message reads. “The U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to heed aircraft warnings, cover themselves appropriately, follow the guidance of local authorities, and consult additional safety information provided by a previous security document,” the statement continued, advising among other things to leave the country “when safe to do so.” to do this”.

Fire extinguished at the Russian refinery on the Black Sea

The fire that broke out in the oil product tank of the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region has been extinguished, the Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia announced, the Tass agency writes. “The fire was extinguished at 5:17 in the morning”, stated the Department.

Zelenski, surprise visit to the Netherlands

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands for an unannounced visit. This was reported by the Dutch news agency ANP. The Ukrainian leader will give a speech in The Hague entitled “There is no peace without justice”. In the Dutch city, Zelenskiy is expected to visit, among other things, the headquarters of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March. Yesterday morning, Zelenski was in Helsinki, Finland, for a summit of northern European countries.

Russian refinery caught fire after drone attack

The Ilsky refinery, in the port of Novorossiysk, a city in the Russian region of Krasnodar, in the south of the country, was attacked by a drone during the night and its tank caught fire: a spokesman for the local emergency services announced, reports the press agency Russian Tass. “Following an attack by an unidentified drone, a fire broke out in the reservoir of the Ilsky oil refinery in the town of Ilsky,” the spokesman said.

Ukrainian TV: explosions in Odessa

Explosions were heard in Odesa, in southwestern Ukraine: Ukrainian public television Suspilne reports on Telegram. An air alert was declared in the city and in the homonymous region.

Zelenski will speak in The Hague, the Dutch government announces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to speak in the Netherlands on Thursday, the Dutch government announced.

In an invitation, the Dutch foreign ministry stated that Zelenskiy is expected to give a speech entitled “There is no peace without justice for Ukraine”.

Zelenski was in Helsinki, Finland, on Wednesday.

A surprise visit to the Netherlands would be a first for Zelenskiy, who has made few trips abroad since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

A former Russian deputy claims that a partisan group is behind the Kremlin drone attack

A former Russian deputy with ties to militant groups in Russia claims that the recent drone attack on the Kremlin was the work of Russian partisans, not the Ukrainian army.

In an exclusive interview, Ilya Ponomarev told CNN’s Matthew Chance that “it’s one of the Russian partisan groups,” adding that “I can’t say more because they haven’t publicly claimed responsibility yet.”

Ponomarev, who currently lives in exile in Ukraine and Poland, was the only Russian lawmaker to vote against Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and has since been on a list of terror suspects, according to Russian authorities.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of being responsible for two drone attacks on the Kremlin.

The US will give Ukraine an additional $300 million in military aid

The package includes more ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems (HIMARS), additional howitzers, artillery rockets and mortars, as well as ammunition for small arms and light weapons.

According to the Pentagon press release, Washington will also provide Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-armor weapon systems, anti-tank guided missiles, Hydra-70 aviation missiles, demolition ammunition, trucks and trailers for transporting heavy equipment and others.

“The United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to provide Ukraine with capabilities that meet its immediate battlefield needs and long-term security assistance requirements,” the Pentagon press release said.