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Ukraine seeks response to Russian drone strikes

Ukraine is seeking a response to Russia’s new tactic of frequent air strikes with Iranian-made combat drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the international community for more and better anti-aircraft weapons. “When we talk about air defense, we are talking about real human lives,” he said in his video address Monday night. «This is not only in Ukraine’s interest. The smaller Russia’s terrorist capabilities, the sooner this war will end.”

The leadership in Tehran denies having provided Russia with disposable drones. But the federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock also had doubts about this. “The kamikaze drones that were shot down there and that also hit Kiev, it’s very, very clear where they come from,” the Greens politician told the ZDF “hot news”.

The latest developments about the war in Ukraine in the live ticker:

Air raids into the night

In the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the fourth air raid siren on Monday ended after midnight. According to authorities, air defenses were deployed around the city of more than a million inhabitants to intercept incoming drones. The downing of such a drone was reported from the town of Brovary on the eastern edge of the city. Drone strikes on Kiev in the morning killed four people, including a young couple with a pregnant woman. “(Russian President) Vladimir Putin can credit himself with another achievement, he killed another pregnant woman,” Zelenskyy said.

In the evening there was an air raid on the southern regions of Mykolaiv and Odessa. Explosions have been heard in Odessa. According to the authorities, an object of the energy supply was hit that day in the central Ukrainian region of Dnepropetrovsk.

Kiev allegations against Iran

Zelensky said Ukraine has intercepted 37 drones and several cruise missiles since Sunday evening. The Shahed 136 single-use combat drones from Iran were sighted over Kiev. There have been more than 100 attacks with such drones since last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. “We call on Tehran to immediately stop all arms supplies to Russia,” the ministry said in a statement. “Otherwise, Iran and its leadership will be held strictly accountable.” He called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran.

Baerbock for new sanctions against Tehran

Foreign Minister Baerbock spoke out for further sanctions against Iran if the Islamic Republic’s delivery of the drones to Moscow is proven. She had already announced in the European Council on Monday that “in my view, in view of this delivery of drones from Iran to Russia, a package of sanctions against the Iranian regime is yet to follow,” she said in the “Heute news” of ZDF. Baerbock also said that the origin of the drones must be clarified before another sanction package. “Of course everything has to be legally clean.”

Ukraine and Russia exchange more than 200 prisoners

In the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which lasted almost seven months, both sides exchanged many prisoners again on Monday. According to the Ukrainian presidential office in Kiev, 108 captured Ukrainian soldiers and civilians returned to their homeland. “Ukraine leaves no one behind,” wrote Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. On the Russian side, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the return of 110 prisoners. Among them were 72 Russian seamen from civilian ships who had been detained in Ukraine since the start of the war in February.

Russian plane crashes into Russian city

The Russian authorities reacted quickly and with great effort to the spectacular crash of the fighter-bomber in Yeysk. President Putin has been informed. Civil Protection Minister Alexander Kurenkov and Health Minister Mikhail Murashko flew over from Moscow. Videos from Yeysk showed a large fireball near an eight-storey skyscraper as the plane crashed. Several explosions followed. Part of the building caught fire up to the roof. Regional Civil Defense reported 6 dead and 22 injured on Monday evening. The whereabouts of six people were unclear.

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that one of the two engines caught fire when the machine took off from a nearby air base. The two-man crew saved themselves with parachutes. The machine was on a training flight. According to the rules, such flights take place without ammunition. However, the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda interpreted the explosions in the sense that the machine was armed. The port city of Yeysk is so close to Ukraine that air strikes can be launched from there.

Tuesday will be important

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin sees Iran’s drones in Russia’s arsenal as the “moment of truth” for Israel to provide military support to Ukraine. Klimkin wrote this on Twitter. Israel is considered the country best equipped against Iranian weapon systems. Out of respect for Moscow, the Jerusalem government has so far withheld aid to Ukraine. But the discussion about that should increase. (sda/dpa)