Russia-Ukraine War: Summary of Key Events, Day 1,128

Combat Actions

• Ukraine’s air force announced it downed 42 out of 85 Russian drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile during a night raid, with over 20 individuals wounded and damage to residential buildings and storage facilities.
• The FSB of Russia accused Ukrainian intelligence of attempting to recruit Russian nationals for military intelligence under the guise of RAND Corp employment.
• Amid mediation by Qatar, Russia has handed over five children to Ukraine who were separated from their families due to the ongoing conflict.
• Following his visit to Sumy, Ukraine’s Chief General Oleksandr Syrskii reported increased Russian attacks but stated that Ukrainian forces are holding their ground and launching counter-offensives.
• Russia’s Ministry of Defence alleged that Ukraine attacked energy sites in Bryansk, Kursk, and the Crimea with drones and artillery in violation of a mutual ceasefire agreement on such strikes.
• Kyiv’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied these allegations and confirmed that neither side had targeted the other’s energy infrastructure since March 25.

• Russian artillery fire resulted in the deaths of two individuals and disruptions to power supply in southern Ukraine’s Kherson, as reported by local authorities.

Ceasefire Developments

• During his visit to China, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot proposed coordination between Paris and Beijing to promote peace in Ukraine, suggesting that China could encourage Russia to negotiate sincerely.
• UK Prime Minister Keith Starmer dismissed Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire promises as “hollow” and accused him of tampering with the agreed naval ceasefire in the Black Sea.
• Putin proposed a temporary UN administration and elections for Ukraine as part of a peace resolution process.
• Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused France and the UK of plotting a “military intervention in Ukraine” through peacekeeping efforts and warned of potential conflict with Russia and NATO.
• A coalition of leaders from several countries met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s position and the coalition’s potential role in a future peace deal with Russia.

• The summit considered deploying European troops to Ukraine, with divergent enthusiasm among the participants. The consensus was not to lift Russia’s sanctions but to increase them.
• Zelenskyy alerted the meeting about “dangerous signals” from Saudi Arabia regarding a potential easing of Russian sanctions.
• French President Macron stated that London and Paris were exploring the concept of “assurance troops” for Ukraine post a potential peace agreement, despite not gaining unanimous approval among European countries.
• Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced his country’s continued supply of ammunition to Ukraine in 2025 at levels similar to the previous year.

Politics and Diplomatic Moves

• South Korea’s military revealed that North Korea has sent around 3,000 troops to Russia and continues to supply it with weaponry to support its campaign against Ukraine.
• Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov of Russia stated that the restoration of Russia-US relations is at an early and challenging stage, and it’s premature to draw significant conclusions.
• Ryabkov also mentioned that it’s premature for strategic nuclear stability talks with the US to resume, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused the US of constantly changing terms of a proposed mineral deal but clarified that Kyiv does not oppose the deal.