German chancellor says there will be no restrictions to how far weapons can reach at press conference with Zelenskyy<\/p>\n
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday during a visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory, AFP reported.<\/strong> Russia\u2019s defence ministry said its air defences had downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 regions overnight.
\u201cOur defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,\u201d said Merz, without naming the manufacturers involved.
\u201cThere will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine<\/a> to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,\u201d he told a joint press conference.
The production of long-range weapons \u201ccan take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany<\/a>,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will not provide any further details until further notice.\u201d
Merz hailed the project as \u201cthe beginning of a new form of military-industrial cooperation between our countries that has great potential\u201d.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday during a visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory, AFP reported. <\/strong>\u201cOur defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,\u201d said Merz, without naming the manufacturers involved.
Germany<\/strong> will provide further military support for Ukraine<\/strong> amounting to about \u20ac5bn ($5.65bn), its defence ministry said on Wednesday, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> met senior officials in Berlin<\/strong>. According to Reuters, in its statement, the ministry pointed to Russian<\/strong> airstrikes, \u201cwith many civilians killed and injured, as well as the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure in particular\u201d.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Germany\u2019s plans to jointly develop long-range missiles with Ukraine, as well as supplies of its tanks to Kyiv, showed that it was already a participant in the Russia-Ukraine war. <\/strong>German chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking during a visit of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin on Wednesday, said his government would not impose any range limits on the missiles which could be produced in Ukraine<\/a> and Germany.
Russia has proposed holding the next round of peace talks with Ukraine<\/a> on 2 June in Istanbul, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. <\/strong>\u201cThe Russian side, as agreed, has promptly developed a relevant memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis,\u201d he said.
Nearly 175,000 servicemen have signed Russian army contracts since the beginning of the year, the TASS state news agency reported on Wednesday, quoting top security official Dmitry Medvedev. <\/strong>Medvedev, Russia\u2019s former president, also said that more than 14,000 additional people had joined the army on a volunteer basis, TASS reported.
German prosecutors have charged three people \u2013 a Ukrainian, a Russian and an Armenian \u2013 with foreign agent activity, on suspicion of spying on a Ukrainian man in Germany<\/a> with the possible aim of killing him, prosecutors said on Wednesday. <\/strong>The target of the operation was a man who had taken part in combat operations for the Ukrainian armed forces following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, a statement from the federal prosecutor said.
Ukraine<\/strong>\u2019s military said on Wednesday it struck several Russian<\/strong> weapon production sites during a major overnight drone attack that Moscow<\/strong> said its air defences had repelled. The latest attack struck Russia\u2019s Kronstadt plant<\/strong>, which produces drones in the town of Dubna<\/strong> outside Moscow, and the nearby Raduga plant<\/strong> that makes cruise missiles, Ukraine\u2019s general staff said.
Russia<\/strong>\u2019s military has committed \u201ccrimes against humanity\u201d and \u201cwar crimes\u201d in its drone attacks on civilians in Ukraine<\/strong>\u2019s Kherson<\/strong> region, UN<\/strong> experts concluded in a report published on Wednesday. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine<\/strong>, established by the UN human rights council<\/strong>, said Russian armed forces were \u201csystematically\u201d hitting civilians, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine<\/a> not being invited to the upcoming Nato summit would mean a victory for Russian president Vladimir Putin over the alliance. <\/strong>Zelenskyy had said on Tuesday that Nato chief Mark Rutte wanted Ukraine to attend the summit.
Ukraine<\/strong> has protested to the international atomic energy watchdog about reports that Russia<\/strong> is building power lines to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant<\/strong> to its own grid, a Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.
Belarus<\/strong> will scale back military drills with Russia<\/strong> planned for September, cutting the number of soldiers taking part and moving them away from the western border, Minsk<\/strong> said on Wednesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Kremlin<\/strong> believes that US<\/strong> president Donald Trump<\/strong> was not fully informed about the Russia-Ukraine<\/strong> conflict, foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov<\/strong> said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Russia<\/strong> has massed more than 50,000 troops, including some of its best forces, near Ukraine<\/strong>\u2019s north-eastern Sumy region<\/strong>, but Kyiv<\/strong> has taken steps to prevent them from conducting a large-scale offensive, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> said, according to Reuters.
Turkey<\/strong>\u2019s foreign minister will travel to Kyiv<\/strong> on Thursday for a two-day visit after discussing peace efforts to end Russia<\/strong>\u2019s war in Ukraine<\/strong> in Moscow<\/strong> earlier this week, a Turkish foreign ministry<\/strong> source told Reuters on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Russian president Vladimir Putin may be intentionally delaying negotiations on a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine<\/a> and expressed disappointment at Russian bombing.<\/strong>
\u201cWe\u2019re going to find out whether or not he\u2019s tapping us along or not, and if he is, we\u2019ll respond a little differently,\u201d Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Russia has proposed holding the next round of peace talks with Ukraine<\/a> on 2 June in Istanbul, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.<\/strong>
\u201cThe Russian side, as agreed, has promptly developed a relevant memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis,\u201d he said.
The Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinskiy, is ready to present the memorandum to the Ukrainian side and to provide necessary clarifications during the second round of resumed direct talks in Istanbul next Monday, Lavrov added.
Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia\u2019s delegation at peace talks on Ukraine<\/a>, said on Wednesday he had sent proposals to Ukraine with a date and venue to exchange memorandums, or conditions, to stop the fighting.<\/strong>
He also said on the Telegram messaging app that he expected a reply and that Russia\u2019s delegation was ready to meet its Ukrainian counterpart face-to-face in the coming days.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Germany\u2019s plans to jointly develop long-range missiles with Ukraine, as well as supplies of its tanks to Kyiv, showed that it was already a participant in the Russia-Ukraine war.<\/strong>
German chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking during a visit of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin on Wednesday, said his government would not impose any range limits on the missiles which could be produced in Ukraine<\/a> and Germany.
Lavrov told a Russian state TV reporter that Berlin\u2019s decisions were \u201cbuilding tension\u201d, adding that he hoped \u201cresponsible politicians\u201d in Germany \u201cwill make the right conclusion and stop the madness.\u201d
Nearly 175,000 servicemen have signed Russian army contracts since the beginning of the year, the TASS state news agency reported on Wednesday, quoting top security official Dmitry Medvedev.<\/strong>
Medvedev, Russia\u2019s former president, also said that more than 14,000 additional people had joined the army on a volunteer basis, TASS reported.
German prosecutors have charged three people \u2013 a Ukrainian, a Russian and an Armenian \u2013 with foreign agent activity, on suspicion of spying on a Ukrainian man in Germany<\/a> with the possible aim of killing him, prosecutors said on Wednesday.<\/strong>
The target of the operation was a man who had taken part in combat operations for the Ukrainian armed forces following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a>, a statement from the federal prosecutor said.
The Armenian man, identified only as Vardges I, was tasked with spying by the Russian intelligence service, the statement added. He is said to have recruited Ukrainian national Robert A. and Russian national Arman S. to assist with the operation, Reuters reported.
The plot involved a planned meeting with the target at a cafe in central Frankfurt in June 2024, but he did not show up after being tipped off by German authorities, the prosecutor said.
\u201cThe spying operation presumably served to prepare further intelligence operations in Germany, possibly including the killing of the target person,\u201d the statement said.
The three suspects have been in custody since their arrest on 19 June 2024, the day of the attempted meeting.
European security officials have warned of the increased threat of hybrid attacks by Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war, including espionage and sabotage targeting critical infrastructure.
Ukraine<\/strong>\u2019s military said on Wednesday it struck several Russian<\/strong> weapon production sites during a major overnight drone attack that Moscow<\/strong> said its air defences had repelled.
The latest attack struck Russia\u2019s Kronstadt plant<\/strong>, which produces drones in the town of Dubna<\/strong> outside Moscow, and the nearby Raduga plant<\/strong> that makes cruise missiles, Ukraine\u2019s general staff said.
The Angstrem microchip factory<\/strong> in Moscow region was also struck, it said, adding that the facility produced components widely used by Russia\u2019s military-industrial complex.
The factory is in the Elma Technological Park in Zelenograd.
Videos circulating online showed fire and smoke at the technological park. Reuters was able to independently confirm the location of the video, but not the date of the footage. <\/p>\n
The Ukrainian military\u2019s statement did not make clear what weapons its forces used to conduct the long-range attack. But an official from Ukraine\u2019s SBU security agency<\/strong> said in a written statement that the Ukrainian side had used drones. Kyiv lacks an arsenal of long-range missiles.
Ukraine\u2019s general staff also said it conducted a \u201csuccessful\u201d attack on a factory in Ivanovo<\/strong> region the day before. The factory makes organic chemicals, components of explosives and powders, as well as additives for rocket and aviation fuel, it said.
Reuters could not independently confirm the claims by either side.
Germany<\/strong> will provide further military support for Ukraine<\/strong> amounting to about \u20ac5bn ($5.65bn), its defence ministry said on Wednesday, as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> met senior officials in Berlin<\/strong>.
According to Reuters, in its statement, the ministry pointed to Russian<\/strong> airstrikes, \u201cwith many civilians killed and injured, as well as the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure in particular\u201d.
The aid will be financed by funds already approved by Germany\u2019s lower house of parliament, it added.
Russia<\/strong>\u2019s military has committed \u201ccrimes against humanity\u201d and \u201cwar crimes\u201d in its drone attacks on civilians in Ukraine<\/strong>\u2019s Kherson<\/strong> region, UN<\/strong> experts concluded in a report published on Wednesday.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine<\/strong>, established by the UN human rights council<\/strong>, said Russian armed forces were \u201csystematically\u201d hitting civilians, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
\u201cRussian armed forces have committed the crimes against humanity of murder and the war crimes of attacking civilians, through a months-long pattern of drone attacks targeting civilians on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Province,\u201d the inquiry said.