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Three major airports briefly halted flights twice during the day
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Airports in Moscow were briefly shut on Wednesday, after Russia claimed it shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones.
In a series of announcements, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Telegram that at least 376 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed on Wednesday.
Most were over Russia’s western regions bordering Ukraine and central Russia. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 27 drones were destroyed or intercepted en route to the capital.
As a result, the region’s three major airports briefly halted flights twice during the day before resuming operations.
It comes after Ukraine’s military said in a statement that it had struck the Bolkhov semiconductor plant in Oryol Oblast overnight.
The plant is one of Russia‘s leading producers of semiconductor devices and components, focusing on diodes, microcircuits, optoelectronic switches, and more, the General Staff said.
Unverified footage published online appeared to show the plant on fire. The region’s governor initially claimed there had been no damage from the attack, but subsequently admitted that the plant and several buildings were damaged.
Airports in Moscow were briefly shut on Wednesday after Russia claimed it shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones.
In a series of announcements, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Telegram that at least 376 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed on Wednesday.
Most were over Russia’s western regions bordering Ukraine and central Russia. There were no reports of casualties.
The latest tally issued by the ministry said 77 drones were downed in the period from 8pm to 11.50pm
According to a separate count issued by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 27 drones were destroyed or intercepted en route to the capital.
The region’s three major airports briefly halted flights twice during the day before resuming operations.
Dmytro Guzha was returning home with his wife Elena when he felt the explosion beneath his feet – and then nothing.
“After that, I didn’t hear or see anything at all,” the 49-year-old says. He regained consciousness a few minutes later and his focus turned to Elena.
“I was really worried about my wife because I saw her and she didn’t move. Then I wanted to try to get closer to her but I couldn’t because my leg didn’t move.” That was the result of the explosion that had ripped through his lower half.
Moscow and Kyiv will “immediately” begin ceasefire talks with the aim of bringing an end to the war, US President Donald Trump claims as he divulged details of his phone calls with leaders of the two nations on Monday.
A former Ukrainian politician and key aide to the ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych has been killed.
Andriy Portnov, 51, was gunned down on Wednesday morning outside the gates of the American School in Madrid’s affluent neighbourhood of Pozuelo.
Read below about who the figure was and why he is so controversial in Ukraine.
Finland has completed the first 35 km (22 miles) of a 4.5-metre (15-ft) high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard said on Wednesday.
Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200 km (124 miles) of the border’s total 1,344 km (835 miles) length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by Moscow.
“The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland,” the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has held a conversation with Nato chief Mark Rutte.
The pair discussed how to keep up pressure on Russia to broker a ceasefire.
You can see a handout from the call below.
Kyiv’s European allies slapped new sanctions Tuesday on Moscow, a day after a phone call between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin failed to produce a breakthrough on ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine.
We have the latest below.
Russian forces have made small gains in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk.
See below for the latest.
We have an explainer on who exactly is Andriy Portnov, the former Ukrainian politician who was killed this morning in Madrid.
Read the piece below.
Below, we have footage of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to a factory in the Kursk region, on the border with Ukraine.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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