WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Russian Air Defense systems shot down 45 drones headed toward Moscow overnight, the mayor said.
The aerial attacks came as Ukrainian forces occupy a portion of the Kursk region of Russia. Three weeks ago, Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Russia, the largest attack on Russia since World War II.
In a video posted online, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s goal is to create a buffer zone on the border to prevent future Russian attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine’s military said it has seized multiple villages and destroyed bridges. The incursion, so far, has killed 17 people, Russian State Media claims.
“Generally speaking, Russia has struggled to respond,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon Press Secretary. “It has certainly demonstrated the creativity and the battlefield prowess of the Ukrainians.”
In a press conference on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk ended any possibility of peace negotiations to end the war. Fighting began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Zelenskyy said, in another video posted online, Ukraine’s military is achieving its goals.
