U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that “the overwhelming majority of countries” at the U.N. Security Council meeting this week “condemned Russia’s brutal war of conquest” on Ukraine and called “for a just and lasting peace on the basis of the United Nations Charter.”
Crucial to that lasting peace, Blinken said, “is pressing Iran, North Korea and China, a permanent member of the council, to stop providing weapons, artillery, machinery and other support [that Russian President Vladimir] Putin is using to devastate Ukrainian homes, energy grids and ports.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in the U.S. to meet with President Joe Biden and presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, said in his daily address Friday that Ukraine’s “plan for victory has been presented to America.”
The Ukrainian leader said key items discussed included “long-range capabilities, the defense package, sanctions against Russia [and] steps on Russian assets.”
“It is important for Ukraine that America has a direct understanding of Ukraine. And it absolutely does,” Zelenskyy said. “This Russian war must be stopped, and it must be stopped with fairness, so that no aggressor will ever do what Russia is doing.”
Russian attacks
Regional officials in Ukraine reported eight people killed and dozens injured Thursday and Friday by Russian attacks on the country.
The Ukrainian air force reported that it shot down 24 of 32 Iranian-made Shahed drones. On its Telegram social media account, the Ukrainian air force reported another attacking drone was lost in Romanian airspace, and still another was "lost in location" because of Ukraine defense forces countermeasures.
The air force statement said Russia fired a North Korean-made Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and two Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers from the Black Sea, all which were shot down by anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units.
In southern Odesa Oblast, Governor Oleh Kiper reported from his Telegram account the Russian drone strikes hit the town of Izmail early Friday, killing three people and injuring at least 11. He said the drone strikes damaged homes, residential buildings and other structures, as well as cars.
Video released by the Odesa regional emergency service showed firefighters battling fires and searching the rubble of buildings.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported four people killed and 11 injured Thursday, adding that there were additional deaths and injuries in attacks on Mariupol and Volnovakha without providing figures.
A Russian attack on the city of Kharkiv injured three women and two men, regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Three men — aged 77, 74 and 46 — suffered injuries after Russian attacks on Kupiansk, Vuzlovyi, Vovchansk and Ivashky in Kharkiv Oblast.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported Russian forces Thursday targeted 24 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. He said one person was killed and 19 were injured, while residential high-rises, homes, and critical infrastructure – including a school – were damaged.
Also Thursday, the Ukrainian military reported that a Ukrainian drone strike battalion foiled a Russian armored assault near the village of Pishchane in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Commander of the Achilles drone strike battalion, Yuriy Fedorenko, reported Russian forces had attempted to advance in the area, using around 50 armored vehicles and troops. Video released by Fedorenko showed repeated drone strikes on what he reported were Russian vehicles.
The commander reported that the drone strikes damaged or destroyed 40 Russian vehicles.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
