The Kyiv Independent is reporting that the United States asked Ukraine to avoid striking Moscow during a recent visit by the CIA chief, citing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's air defenses. The Kremlin, meanwhile, dismissed a proposal for a free economic zone in Donbas, stating it considers the region Russian territory and would not allow it to be governed by a "third party."
Ukrainian forces have reportedly resumed strikes on Russian targets, including a Wildberries hub in Tambov Oblast, which was hit by a "massive drone attack" causing a fire over 100,000 meters. A major Lukoil-owned NORSI oil refinery in Nizhny Novogorod Oblast also caught fire after a drone strike. Ukrainian forces also damaged a MiG-29 fighter jet at the Millerovo air base in Russia's Rostov Oblast. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of spreading "false" mobilization claims amid intensifying speculation about another Russian mobilization.
In other developments, a Russian drone strike hit a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, marking the third such attack in two weeks. Former U.S. envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, reportedly compared Putin's territorial demands to those of Nazi Germany, warning that Putin would not stop at Donbas. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the United Kingdom and France approved the production of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles in Ukraine, lifting previous restrictions.
The human cost of the war continues to mount, with Chernihiv Oblast experiencing 45 Russian attacks, resulting in 5 deaths and dozens injured across Ukraine. Russia launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, a Kh-31P guided missile and 150 drones, with air defenses downing or suppressing 124 drones. The General Staff reported that Russia has lost 1,479,300 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022, including 1,230 casualties in the past day.
Regarding international response, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Dan Negrea, reportedly called on "both sides" to cease strikes that might risk civilian vessels, snubbing a joint UN rebuke of Russian strikes. Poland told the UN that Russia's war endangers the entire neighborhood, citing recent airspace violations in Poland, Romania and Latvia. Lithuania allocated 600,000 euros to help bring home Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Brussels stated that Ukraine had made "no official request" to receive EU money sooner, despite Zelensky's public plea, and reminded Ukraine of its "rule of law" homework after parliament stalled reforms. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia would launch an EU accession bid in the "near future," further distancing itself from Russia. The Pope's envoy met with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, marking the first face-to-face talks between Moscow and the Vatican since the full-scale invasion.
In other news, a court set bail at $448,000 for Iryna Mudra, Zelensky's former deputy chief of staff, in a money laundering case. Sense Bank appointed Peter Novak as a new board member following a corruption probe. A Ukrainian member of parliament, Stolar, charged in a graft case involving the President's Office, reportedly fled abroad. German media reported that investigators found another drone linked to the Leipzig airport incident, along with about 50 grams of hexogen, a military explosive.