Ukraine has dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusation that Kyiv was responsible for a deadly drone attack on a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region. Putin vowed revenge after claiming the attack killed six people and wounded dozens, with 15 still missing. Ukraine's military denied the claim, stating it had struck an elite drone command unit in the area, and its UN ambassador called Russia's allegations a 'pure propaganda show,' insisting the operations 'exclusively targeted the Russian war machine.'
The Czech president, Petr Pavel, urged NATO to 'show its teeth' in response to Russia's provocations on the alliance's eastern flank. He suggested options including switching off Russia's internet, cutting off its banks from global financial systems, and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace. Pavel warned that without decisive responses, Moscow could intensify its actions.
The UN's nuclear watchdog reported that a fire at a Ukrainian electrical substation due to military activity partially disconnected a nuclear power plant from off-site power. Firefighters were tackling the blaze, and the grid operator requested the disconnection. Meanwhile, falling drone debris triggered a fire at an oil terminal in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, injuring two people. Ukrainian forces also attacked a Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, about 700km from the border.
Hundreds of Ukrainians marched in Kyiv to protest a bill that could prematurely declare missing soldiers dead. The bill addresses the legal status of missing persons, with over 90,000 people listed as missing in Ukraine's registry. Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US troop numbers in Europe are expected to drop from 80,000 after a review, citing obligations in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. A bipartisan group of US senators pushed back on delays in sending about $600m in security aid to Ukraine and eastern European allies.
