Ukrainian and US officials have discussed a proposal to offer Russia an air ceasefire, according to a Reuters report citing a Ukrainian source. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
Kremlin Responds to Ceasefire Reports
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that Russia considers it premature to comment on any such ceasefire proposal. “We do not know how credible these reports are or where they come from. These are newspaper reports and nothing more. Therefore, it is premature to comment on them at this stage,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax. “We have heard statements that some new formulas may be possible. We still need to learn more about them… What happens next will depend on how closely they correspond to our interests.”
Romania Summons Russian Ambassador After Drone Incident
Romania said it is summoning Russia’s ambassador after a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone over the Black Sea, five minutes after it entered the country’s airspace, said Defence Minister Radu Miruță. Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu condemned “repeated violations”. President Nicușor Dan stated that an investigation found a drone shot down on Friday was a “Shahed model used by the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine”. Investigations into drones shot down on Saturday and Sunday are ongoing.
Cargo Vessel Sinks Off Odesa
The Golden Leo, an international cargo vessel, sank off the coast of Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa on Sunday, a week after Ukrainian officials said it was struck by Russian forces. Nine crew members were killed, while eight were evacuated to safety. The ship had left the port of Chornomorsk with a cargo of corn when it was shelled by Russian forces on 19 July. Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday that its forces had struck Ukrainian ports and shipping, claiming the container terminal at Chornomorsk handled “military cargoes”.
Overnight Attacks Across Ukraine
Russia launched seven ballistic missiles and 136 drones at Ukraine overnight into Sunday, the Ukrainian air force said. In Chernihiv, a Russian drone hit a supermarket, killing two people – including a nine-year-old child – and wounding 25, according to emergency services. In Kharkiv, a daytime drone attack killed one person and left 16 requiring medical attention, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov. A glide bomb attack killed one and wounded six in Zaporizhzhia, said regional governor Ivan Fedorov. In Kyiv, a missile attack sparked a fire on the seventh and eighth floors of an apartment block, wounding three people, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko. In Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Naftogaz said two employees died in a Russian attack while trying to help residents affected by an earlier strike.
Russia reported that areas under Moscow’s control also came under attack, with four people killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian-occupied city of Horlivka. Twelve people, including two children, were injured in a drone attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, near Ukraine’s border, according to regional authorities. Ukraine denies targeting civilians.
Zelenskyy to Meet UK’s Burnham at Naval Base
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will become Andy Burnham’s first overseas visitor as prime minister, in a visit that Burnham said underlined Britain’s “unwavering” backing for Ukraine. Less than two weeks after Keir Starmer travelled to Kyiv, Zelenskyy will on Monday join Burnham at a naval base where Ukrainian forces have been receiving training. According to No 10, total UK support for Ukraine since February 2022 has reached £25bn, including £16bn in military assistance. Burnham and Zelenskyy are due to discuss joint projects including Stone Cloak, an electronic jammer for which the UK has shared intellectual property, allowing Ukraine to use the system immediately to prevent Russia shooting down Ukrainian drones. The jammers, proven on the Ukrainian frontline, are to be fitted to new UK weaponry, including cruise missiles.
