Ukraine war latest: Kyiv launches attack on Putin’s Black Sea naval base

One person was killed and another four wounded in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Wednesday, according to local authorities.

Kharkiv regional prosecutors said one person was killed and two wounded in an attack in the village of Borova that also damaged 10 homes, stores and an administrative building.

In the village of Ruska Lozova, two people were wounded and 10 homes damaged in a strike in the early hours that used two S-400 missiles, prosecutors said citing preliminary information.

Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians since launching a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in June that attacks near the village of Borova had intensified as Russian forces sought to strike logistics and probe weaknesses in the Ukrainian defences.

There is no dialogue between Russia and Donald Trump about the conflict in Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Kremlin’s spokesman.

Trump said last week during a debate against President Joe Biden that if he won the November U.S. election, he would have the war settled before he took office in January.

French researcher Laurent Vinatier, charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information on Russia’s military, pleaded guilty, Russia’s Investigative committee said on Wednesday.

Mr Vinatier, 47, could face up to five years in prison. He was placed in pre-trial custody until Aug. 5, despite a request to free him endorsed by the French embassy.

Russia is conducting a new recruitment drive for fighters in Africa for its war in Ukraine after suffering heavy casualties on the ground in lethal combat, according to Western intelligence officials.

The enrolment campaign has intensified following the rapid spread of Moscow’s influence on the continent, boosted by the overthrow of pro-Western governments in several countries by military regimes and the subsequent withdrawal of US and European forces.

Mercenaries formerly with the Wagner Group – which was disbanded after the failed coup attempt by its Russian leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was subsequently killed along with his senior hierarchy in an air crash – are training young men, some from tribal militias, for battle in Europe.

Russia’s defence systems destroyed 10 air drones that Ukraine launched at Russian territory, as well as two sea drones heading in the direction of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, the Russian defence ministry said this morning.

At least five air drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, four over the Bryansk region and one over the Moscow region, the ministry said.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has urged Ukraine “to consider a quick ceasefire” during his first visit to the war-torn country since Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion.

After crunch talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, during which the two countries pledged to strengthen relations, Mr Orban urged Ukraine to halt fighting and enter negotiations with Russia, adding that the war was having a “very intense effect on the security of Europe”.

“We highly appreciate all the initiatives of President Zelensky for the sake of achieving peace,” he said. “I told Mr President that these initiatives take a long time. It is precisely because of the rules of international diplomacy that they are very complicated.

The Russian war in Ukraine is likely to end with a negotiated outcome with Russia, as opposed to a much popular outright Ukrainian military victory, in most European nations, a major poll of 15 countries has showed.

At least 19,566 people were surveyed in 15 countries by the European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank in the first half of May this year.

Of these, a total of 34 per cent of Ukrainians currently say they trust the war-time president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, “a great deal”. Another 31 per cent trust him “quite a lot”, confirming that those keeping faith with their leader outnumber those who are not by two to one.

At least 58 per cent of Ukrainians foresaw a victory for Kyiv as the most likely outcome of the war, while 30 per cent said it would end in a settlement. One per cent expect Russia to emerge victorious.

This is the first time the European think tank has also polled inside Ukraine itself, where it finds support for war and victory are strong, despite talk of weakening morale.

A senior aide of Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up any territory to end the war.

Andri Yermak, the presidential chief of staff, was answering a question on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s declaration that he could quickly end the Russian war on Ukraine.

Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve a “just peace” in the war, he said. “But we (are) not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values… independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty,” he said.

Mr Yermak’s visit came ahead of next week’s Nato summit in the US capital, where Ukraine is expected to be the main topic of discussion.

Asked how Ukraine assesses that Mr Trump would handle the war, Mr Yermak said: “Honest answer: I don’t know. Let’s see.”

Ukraine would lobby a new US administration to continue providing it support, he said, adding that Ukraine had received bipartisan support in Washington and polling showed most Americans still support Ukraine after two years of war.

Russian commanders are ordering their forces to kill surrendering Ukrainian soldiers in a plan to “terrify” droves of Russian troops into not giving themselves up.