These are the key developments on day 1,113 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Fighting:
- Ukrainian officials report that Russia launched multiple missiles and drones overnight, killing a 47-year-old woman and injuring nine others in Kryvyi Rih and causing four deaths in Odesa.
- Russia claims significant advancements in the Kursk region, capturing five additional villages, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted the positive dynamics of the conflict.
- Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, announced the recapture of approximately 1,100 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk border region, encompassing 24 settlements, during the past five days.
Politics and Diplomacy:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited troops in Kursk and declared that the region will soon be fully liberated from the enemy. This was his first visit since Ukraine’s major incursion in August last year.
- Putin stated that any Ukrainian fighters captured in Kursk will be treated as terrorists and denied protection as prisoners-of-war according to the Geneva Convention, as reported by Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
- Military bloggers on both sides indicate that Kyiv’s forces have started withdrawing from Kursk, losing their foothold in the Russian region.
Ceasefire Talks:
- Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky expects the United States to take robust action against Russia if Moscow rejects the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine agreed to during talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia.
- US President Donald Trump stated that the achievement of a truce is now dependent on Russia.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope for a positive Russian response and emphasized that a negative reply would reveal much about the Kremlin’s intentions.
- Rubio described the desired outcome as a cessation of hostilities and the commencement of negotiations between the parties.
- Russia has presented Washington with a list of demands similar to previous terms for ending the war, which include Ukraine’s non-membership in NATO, recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces, and restrictions on foreign troop deployment in Ukraine.
Politics and Diplomacy:
- French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu noted a broad consensus among European nations to augment Ukraine’s long-term security via the Ukrainian armed forces after a meeting with defence ministers from Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
- Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz welcomed the unity of the continent in facing the Russian threat.
- UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated that Britain and its allies need to rearm and form a coalition to support Ukraine.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that a minerals deal with Ukraine would create a shared interest in Ukraine’s security, although not amounting to a security guarantee.
- Polish Foreign Minister confirmed that US military aid is being redirected to Ukraine through Poland, following the US decision to resume assistance to Kyiv.
