Russia-Ukraine war update: Trump claims to ‘bring peace to the world’ after phone call with Zelensky

Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the death toll from Friday’s Russian attack on the city of Mykolaiv had risen to four.

Mayor Oleksandr Shenkevich said children were among the victims.

President Zelenskiy posted about the attack on Mykolaiv on social media, saying bullets had landed in a playground next to his apartment building.

“Every day, through its terrorist acts, Russia proves that ‘pressure’ alone is not enough,” he said.

“Such destruction of life must stop. We need new solutions to support defense. Russia must realize its global strength.”

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had fired four missiles and 17 drones overnight, 13 of which were shot down.

Governor Philip Pronin said the attack left thousands of people without power or water in the Poltava region in central Ukraine.

Angry residents in southern Russia staged an unusual protest on Saturday in the city of Krasnodar after recent power outages that the local governor blamed on a heat wave, according to social media posts.

Southern Russia has been hit by unusually hot weather, causing widespread power outages in several areas and, earlier this week, shutting down one of the four reactors at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant, the region’s largest.

The unit has since been back up and running.

“We have been experiencing extremely hot weather in Krasnodar Territory for the past week, which has put an enormous strain on the energy system. I am well aware and understand the indignation of residents caused by the power outages,” Krasnodar Territory governor Veniamin Kondratyev said in a Telegram message.

He said current power supply capacity is not enough to meet peak demand during the hot summer months.

A video posted to the Baza Telegram channel showed police arresting at least two people during Saturday’s protests.

Russian authorities have cracked down on all protests, especially political dissent, since the conflict with Ukraine began in February 2022, and public protests are extremely rare given the risk of arrest.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine was at a stage where it could “stand on its own” militarily, noting that more than 20 countries have pledged to continue military and financial aid to Ukraine even if the U.S. were to withdraw its support under a different president.

In his speech on Friday, Blinken directly addressed for the first time the possibility of backing away from commitments made to Ukraine by former President Donald Trump after he won the November election. Under President Joe Biden, the United States has become the most important backer of Ukraine’s more than two-year fight against Russian aggression.

Angry residents in southern Russia staged an unusual protest on Saturday in the city of Krasnodar after recent power outages that the local governor blamed on a heat wave, according to social media posts.

Southern Russia has been hit by unusually hot weather, causing widespread power outages in several areas and, earlier this week, shutting down one of the four reactors at the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant, the region’s largest.

The unit has since been back up and running.

“The Krasnodar region has been experiencing extremely hot weather for the past week, putting an enormous strain on the energy system. I am well aware and understand the frustration of residents caused by the power outages,” Krasnodar region governor Veniamin Kondratyev said in a Telegram message.

He said current power supply capacity is not enough to meet peak demand during the hot summer months.

A video posted to the Baza Telegram channel showed police arresting at least two people during Saturday’s protests.

Russian authorities have cracked down on all protests, especially political dissent, since the conflict with Ukraine began in February 2022, and public protests are extremely rare given the risk of arrest.

Spanish police announced on Saturday that they had arrested three pro-Russian hackers on suspicion of cyber attacks against Spain and other NATO countries with terrorist intent.

The suspects were detained for allegedly being involved in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyber attacks against public institutions and strategic sectors, the security services said.

It was not clear whether the three suspects, whose names have not been released, have been charged or detained.

The cyber attacks were allegedly carried out against web pages of public and private organizations in government departments, critical infrastructure and essential services of countries supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Police published a video on social media platform X showing the search of the suspect’s home, where a Soviet-era hammer and sickle flag was hanging on the wall.

A former Ukrainian member of parliament known for his work promoting the Ukrainian language has been shot dead in the street by unidentified assailants.

Irina Falion, 60, initially survived the attack in the western city of Lviv on Friday but later died of her injuries in hospital. A search is underway for the assailant, who fled the scene. Ukrainian authorities said an investigation is ongoing and the attack is being treated as an assassination.

“All available surveillance cameras are being activated, witness interviews are underway and several districts are being searched. All leads are being investigated, including those linked to Russia,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel on Saturday.

“All necessary forces of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine have been deployed in the search for the perpetrators.”

Farion, who served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament from 2012 to 2014, was best known for his campaign to encourage Russian-speaking Ukrainian officials to use the Ukrainian language. He sparked controversy by criticizing Russian-speakers in Ukraine’s Azov Regiment, which defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of the full-scale invasion.

Interior Minister Igor Klimenko, who is overseeing the investigation in Lviv, said police were considering “personal hostility” towards the former lawmaker’s social and political activity as a possible motive for the attack.

A Russian missile attack on infrastructure in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region has killed at least two people and injured three, the region’s governor, Oleh Shniekhbov, said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities confirmed the death toll from Friday’s Russian attack on the city of Mykolaiv had risen to four, with the city’s mayor, Oleksandr Shenkevich, saying children were among the victims.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted about the attack on Mykolaiv on social media, saying bullets had hit a playground next to an apartment building.

“Every day with terrorist acts, Russia proves that ‘pressure’ alone is not enough,” he said. “Such destruction of human lives must stop. We need new solutions to support defense. Russia must realize its global strength.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to invite Volodymyr Zelenskyy to become only the second foreign official to address the British Cabinet after Bill Clinton can be seen as an attempt by the new British Prime Minister to reaffirm Britain’s continuing support for Ukraine and to rekindle some of the trust that certainly existed between former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Zelenskyy.

But no matter how striking the staging, no matter how warm the words from either side, the proceedings inevitably focused more on appearances than substance.

The Ukrainian president on Friday became the first foreign leader since Bill Clinton in 1997 to directly address his cabinet members and ask for support for his country’s “long-range capabilities.”

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Zelensky said Kiev’s defences would be strengthened and front-line positions would be made safe if “restrictions on Western weapons were lifted”.

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