Russia’s overnight attack on energy facilities kills a 17-year-old girl. Trump would back Russia sanctions bill if he retains final authority, a White House official says, according to Reuters. A Polish railway explosion marks a “pre-war situation,” Poland’s military chief says.
Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy facilities overnight, killing 17-year-old girl
Russia attacked energy infrastructure in the regions of Dnipro, Sumy, Kherson and Donetsk overnight on Tuesday, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said. Works were underway to repair the damaged sites, it added.
Russia launched four Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 114 drones towards Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukrainian forces shot down or otherwise neutralized 101 drones. Four missiles and 13 drones hit target in 15 locations and the falling debris fell in two other places, it added.
Russian drones pounded the city of Dnipro, injuring two people and damaging apartment buildings and city infrastructure, acting head of the Dnipro regional military administration Vladyslav Hayvanenko said. The shock waves damaged the windows of the railway station and trains, Ukraine’s state-owned railway Ukrzaliznytsia said. Parts of the region lost power and reserve locomotives were deployed, it added.
A Russian missile attack on the city of Berestyn in Kharkiv region killed a 17-year-old girl and injured at least nine others. The girl, identified by media as Karyna Bakhur, was a decorated kickboxing and Cossack martial arts athlete. She died in hospital from the injuries sustained.
Seven people were taken to hospital, they had blast injuries. Two more people suffered a severe stress reaction and were treated on the spot.
Trump would back Russia sanctions bill if he retains final authority, Reuters says
President Donald Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on Russia as long as he retains ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, a senior White House official said on Monday, according to Reuters. The paragraphs below are quoted from the article.
Trump told reporters late on Sunday that it was “OK with me” that Republicans were working on legislation to impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia over Moscow’s failure to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
Trump said lawmakers may take his suggestion to add Iran to the sanctions measure.
Senator Lindsey Graham and U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, both Republicans, sponsored the legislation to impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia, including buyers of its energy exports.
Asked if Trump was now ready to back the legislation, the official said, “He would sign it. He signaled that last night.”
But the White House will insist on specific language ensuring that Trump retains control over the sanctions, the official said.
“It’s always been important to the White House and the president that there’s a carve-out in the sanctions package that ensures the president has the ultimate decision-making authority on the sanctions,” the official said. “So as long as that is included, I think the president would entertain signing the bill.”
The official said the White House was continuing to work on negotiations with Russia on ending the war. “We’re definitely still working it. It just hasn’t been the center of the news because we have so much going on.”
Polish railway explosion marks “pre-war situation,” Poland’s military chief says
Commenting on a recent explosion that damaged a Polish railway line, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Wiesław Kukuła warned that the “adversary has begun the period of preparing for war.”
Kukuła told Polish media on Monday that what was happening was not an actual war, rather “a pre‑war situation — or what we refer to as hybrid warfare.”
He continued: “The enemy has begun preparing for war. He is creating a certain atmosphere here aimed at undermining public trust in the government, in key structures such as the armed forces and the police, as well as creating conditions favorable to potential aggression on Polish territory.”
A recent railway blast could “have signs of a sabotage act,” Kukuła said, adding that the final judgement will come from the country’s interior ministry and other relevant agencies. Poland’s response to the incident is key, including the country’s defense capabilities and public opinion, he said, as cited by Ukrainian news site Hromadske.
