Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky threatens Kyiv will pre-emptively attack Putin’s facilities linked to war

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky threatens Kyiv will pre-emptively attack Putin’s facilities linked to war Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky is 'doing pretty well' in the war against Russia - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were preparing to launch pre-emptive attacks on Russia facilities linked to the war. “I instructed our intelligence services and military to act pre-emptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," the president said. Kyiv is currently on the offensive in the war, launching major attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in particular. A recent drone attack caused extensive damage at the Moscow oil refinery, according to industry sources, taking it offline for at least six months and complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages in the country. In the wake of the renewed Ukrainian assault, Vladimir Putin said this week he was ready for peace talks. Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump said Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war and called him “courageous”. “He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte at the White House. Watch: Ukraine releases footage claiming to show destruction of key Crimean rail bridge Putin is asking for peace talks. It’s time to kick him while he’s down Russia is losing its war against Ukraine. Proof of this has come from Vladimir Putin himself, who has issued a desperate call for a return to peace talks while his oil refineries burn and his bridges to occupied territory are pounded by Kyiv’s missiles. Russia’s president has been badly rattled; his airports are closed, his military logistics chain has dangerously snapped, and public support is waning for a war he started, and for which Russia’s national media can no longer generate artificial enthusiasm. His minions have been whining that an agreement they believe was struck with Donald Trump at the Anchorage summit with Putin last year – giving Moscow colonial ownership of 20 per cent of Ukraine – has been abandoned by the US president as he prepares to meet Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte. Our world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes: Why is Putin asking for Ukraine-Russia peace talks now? Trump says 'courageous' Zelensky 'doing pretty well' in Ukraine war Donald Trump has said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia, calling him “courageous”. "He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said, in response to a question from Sky News during a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. "Look, you have to say he's courageous, he's got great equipment, but he's got great men, he's got fighters,” Trump said. Belarusian drone-relay stations stop working, says Zelensky Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that signal relay stations in Belarus being used by Russian drones to attack Ukraine had stopped working, days after he warned the country's leader to disable them. Zelensky had said on Friday that Ukraine would be forced to act if president Alexander Lukashenko did not remove the stations in two regions bordering Ukraine within a week. "From 22 June, the relay stations have stopped working on the territory of Belarus," Zelensky said in an audio message to reporters. "Whether they took them down or not, honestly, I don't know for now. But we are working on this,” he said. It was not immediately clear how the stations had stopped working, if that was confirmed, or whether there had been an immediate effect of any shutdown. Zelensky has warned in recent months that Moscow plans to draw Minsk more deeply into its war in Ukraine. Russian forces used Belarusian territory to stage their full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelensky says Ukraine will now carry out premptive attacks on Russian facilities involved in war Ukraine will carry out preemptive attacks on facilities Russia is using for its war, president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address. “I instructed our intelligence services and military to act preemptively against facilities Russia uses to expand its war effort," Zelensky said. On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, as a fuel crisis deepened with Kyiv continuing to strike refineries and energy assets. The capital's Moscow oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after sustaining extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources said, complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's largest country. Poltavskaya oil depot on fire in Russia's Krasnodar region from falling drone debris The Poltavskaya oil depot in Russia's southern Krasnodar region has caught fire from falling drone debris, TASS news agency quoted local officials as saying on Thursday. Russia eyes diesel export ban, fuel imports amid Ukrainian strikes Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, amid reports on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, as Ukraine steps up strikes. Speaking at a televised government meeting headed by Putin on Tuesday, Novak said Russia was considering the introduction of a ban on diesel exports and changes to tax legislation to help the domestic fuel market. Novak also said that oil companies had delayed maintenance work at refineries and were using fuel reserves to meet demand. "We are using reserves that were not previously tapped, and are also encouraging increased supplies of additional volumes to the domestic market. Relevant amendments to tax legislation have been prepared in coordination with the government," he said. The Vedomosti newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting chaired by Novak on Monday. Ukrainian and Russian attacks kill several We can bring you more news of deaths both in Russia and Ukraine as a result of overnight drone attacks and shelling. In the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Horlivka, three people were killed when the entrance of an apartment building collapsed after an overnight drone attack, Russia's TASS agency said, citing local emergency services. In Russia's border Belgorod region, a man was killed and a woman was injured in a drone attack. Meanwhile, in the eastern Ukrainian city of Balakliia Russian shelling killed one person on Wednesday, local authorities said. Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk says online abuse fuels her to keep speaking out against Russia’s invasion Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has revealed that her unwavering stance against Russia’s invasion of her homeland has profoundly sharpened her sense of purpose on the professional tour. Despite facing a barrage of online criticism, she claims that the backlash only deepens her resolve to continue speaking out. Kostyuk has emerged as one of the most vocal athletes regarding the conflict, which began in 2022. She has consistently called for greater recognition of the war, firmly rejecting the notion of neutrality and stressing that players must uphold their values even while competing. Her recent impressive run to the French Open semi-finals this month saw her bring the same intensity to her media appearances as she did to her tennis, addressing a sensitive topic with a directness that has resonated far beyond the sporting world. "Well, I think at this point it has strengthened my sense of purpose, because what I find fascinating is how many bots always attack my social media," Kostyuk told Reuters news agency ahead of Wimbledon. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments