Kyiv:

Russia launched a record 188 drones at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv said Tuesday, amid growing international tensions after Russia fired a nuclear-capable missile that could reach European cities.

The Kremlin declined on Tuesday to confirm that Ukrainian forces had again launched US-provided long-range ATACMS at Russia this week but blamed Washington for escalating the conflict nonetheless.

Moscow and Kyiv have been ratcheting up their drone and missile broadsides, with Ukraine recently firing US long-range missiles at Russia and the Kremlin retaliating with an experimental hypersonic missile.

The barrage came as ambassadors from Ukraine and NATO’s 32 members were due to meet in Brussels over Russia’s firing last week of the intermediate-range missile on the city of Dnipro.

“During the night attack, the enemy launched a record number of Shahed strike unmanned aerial vehicles and unidentified drones,” the air force said Tuesday, referring to Iranian-designed drones and putting the overall number fired at 188.

The air force said it had shot down 76 Russian drones in 17 regions, while another 95 were either lost from their radars or downed by electronic jamming defensive systems. It did not specify what happened to the remainder.

Moscow also fired four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the air force said.

“Unfortunately, critical infrastructure facilities were hit, private and apartment buildings were damaged in several regions,” a statement said.

Explosions in Kyiv

AFP journalists heard explosions ring out over the capital, while Kyiv city officials said the air alert had lasted five hours and 10 Russian drones were shot down there.

In the western Ternopil region, which is among those spared the worst of the fighting, authorities said drones had damaged a “critical infrastructure facility,” without elaborating.

They said however that the attack had disrupted electricity in the city of Ternopil and surrounding towns, and that engineers were working to stabilise supplies.

Putin had said the new missile attack last week was in response to Ukraine firing weapons supplied by the United States and Britain into Russia.

The Kremlin leader warned that Moscow felt it had the right to hit military facilities in countries that allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week called the strike “the latest bout of Russian madness” and appealed for updated air-defence systems to meet the new threat.

Kyiv says it hopes to get “concrete and meaningful outcomes” after calling the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

But diplomats and officials at NATO have played down expectations for any major results from the consultations on Tuesday afternoon at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters.

The most that is expected is a reiteration of NATO’s earlier insistence that Moscow’s deployment of the new weaponry will not “deter NATO allies from supporting Ukraine”.

Russian forces advance

The meeting “provides an opportunity to discuss the current security situation in Ukraine and will include briefings from Ukrainian officials via video link,” a NATO official said.

The Kremlin dismissed the meeting saying it was unlikely any significant decisions would be taken.

On the battlefield, Ukraine’s fatigued troops are struggling to halt advances by Russian forces in the east of the country.

Russia said Tuesday its troops had captured another village in the Kharkiv region, in an area where the front line had been relatively stable until recently.

The defence ministry said its units had “liberated” the settlement of Kopanky,” a village near the Ukrainian-held city of Kupiansk that was previously captured by Russian forces at the start of the 2022 offensive before being re-taken by Ukraine later that year.

Moscow also on Tuesday confirmed it had detained a British man it captured fighting for Ukraine in Kyiv’s offensive into Russia’s western Kursk region.

A court in the region said it had on Monday ordered James Scott Rhys Anderson be remanded in custody, alleging he had “participated in armed hostilities on the territory of the Kursk region”.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

President Volodymyr Zelensky was speaking at Ukrainian parliament.

Kazan, Russia:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his two-day official visit to Russia, his second in three months, to attend the BRICS Summit. The prime minister will attend the summit in Russia’s Kazan with Russia’s Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Lula da Silva, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.

Besides the key international forum, the prime minister’s visit assumes significance on two accounts – the role India is playing to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the breakthrough in talks with China over the situation along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

Ahead of the BRICS summit, PM Modi emphasised the importance of close cooperation by member states. Upon his arrival in Kazan, the prime minister wrote in a post on X saying “This is an important summit, and the discussions here will contribute to a better planet.”

WILL PM MODI AND XI JINPING MEET IN RUSSIA?

India and China have established a patrolling mechanism along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), marking a potential step towards easing tensions that escalated in May 2020,” Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary announced yesterday.

The External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar hailed the recent LAC agreement as a positive outcome of “patient and persistent diplomacy.” 

“… At various points of time people almost gave up. We have always maintained on the one hand we obviously had to do counter deployment, and we have been negotiating since September 2020. It has been a very patient process, though more complicated than how it should have been,” Mr. Jaishankar said at the NDTV World Summit.

“The important thing is if we have reached an understanding, I think what it does is it creates a basis for peace and tranquility along the border, which were there before 2020. That was a major concern. If there is no peace and tranquility, how can other areas of bilateral ties improve?” Mr. Jaishankar said.

With both PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attending the BRICS Summit in Russia a day after India and China had a breakthrough in talks over the standoff along the Line of Actual Control, it is to be seen if both leaders will meet or hold talks on the sidelines of the summit. Neither side has confirmed a meeting yet.

MEDIATING PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

In his opening statement during his meeting with Vladimir Putin, PM Modi said he wanted the Ukraine conflict to be resolved “peacefully and quickly”.

The two leaders shook hands and followed that up with a hug when they met for talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. At the meeting PM Modi said, “We have been in constant touch over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”

“We believe that disputes should only be resolved peacefully. We totally support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability,” PM Modi added.

New Delhi has walked a diplomatic tightrope since the Ukraine conflict began, pledging humanitarian support for Kyiv while avoiding explicit condemnation of Russia’s offensive.

In his opening remarks, President Putin hailed Russia and India’s “privileged strategic partnership” and vowed to build ties further. 

PM Modi visited Kyiv in August and Moscow in July in an effort to encourage talks, as India cast itself as a potential mediator. In both countries he was welcomed with a warm embrace. Both Putin and Zelensky have remained in close contact with PM Modi over the duration of the Ukraine conflict – as India has a unique position maintaining friendly relations with both nations.

After his visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Modi reportedly sent National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to Moscow with a “peace plan”, which was reportedly handed over to President Putin when Mr Doval had a meeting with him.

During his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his commitment to peace and sustainable development. He emphasised that without peace, long-term progress is impossible. While the outcome of the war remains uncertain, India continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution,” said Mr. Misri.

India’s initiative to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine has been praised by US President Joe Biden and several European leaders too. President Biden had also praised India’s prominent global role, including Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and Global South, as well as his efforts to strengthen the Quad, ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

AGENDA FOR THE 16th BRICS SUMMIT

Apart from leaders of the 5 founding member states, some two dozen other leaders are also attending the summit, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The main issues on the agenda include Vladimir Putin’s idea for a BRICS-led payment system to rival SWIFT, an international financial network that Russian banks were cut off from in 2022, and the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Kazan, Russia:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began his two-day official visit to Russia, his second in three months, to attend the BRICS Summit. The prime minister will attend the summit in Russia’s Kazan with Russia’s Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Lula da Silva, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.

Besides the key international forum, the prime minister’s visit assumes significance on two accounts – the role India is playing to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, and the breakthrough in talks with China over the situation along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

Ahead of the BRICS summit, PM Modi emphasised the importance of close cooperation by member states. Upon his arrival in Kazan, the prime minister wrote in a post on X saying “This is an important summit, and the discussions here will contribute to a better planet.”

WILL PM MODI AND XI JINPING MEET IN RUSSIA?

India and China have established a patrolling mechanism along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), marking a potential step towards easing tensions that escalated in May 2020,” Vikram Misri, India’s Foreign Secretary announced yesterday.

The External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar hailed the recent LAC agreement as a positive outcome of “patient and persistent diplomacy.” 

“… At various points of time people almost gave up. We have always maintained on the one hand we obviously had to do counter deployment, and we have been negotiating since September 2020. It has been a very patient process, though more complicated than how it should have been,” Mr. Jaishankar said at the NDTV World Summit.

“The important thing is if we have reached an understanding, I think what it does is it creates a basis for peace and tranquility along the border, which were there before 2020. That was a major concern. If there is no peace and tranquility, how can other areas of bilateral ties improve?” Mr. Jaishankar said.

With both PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping attending the BRICS Summit in Russia a day after India and China had a breakthrough in talks over the standoff along the Line of Actual Control, it is to be seen if both leaders will meet or hold talks on the sidelines of the summit. Neither side has confirmed a meeting yet.

MEDIATING PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

In his opening statement during his meeting with Vladimir Putin, PM Modi said he wanted the Ukraine conflict to be resolved “peacefully and quickly”.

The two leaders shook hands and followed that up with a hug when they met for talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. At the meeting PM Modi said, “We have been in constant touch over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”

“We believe that disputes should only be resolved peacefully. We totally support efforts to quickly restore peace and stability,” PM Modi added.

New Delhi has walked a diplomatic tightrope since the Ukraine conflict began, pledging humanitarian support for Kyiv while avoiding explicit condemnation of Russia’s offensive.

In his opening remarks, President Putin hailed Russia and India’s “privileged strategic partnership” and vowed to build ties further. 

PM Modi visited Kyiv in August and Moscow in July in an effort to encourage talks, as India cast itself as a potential mediator. In both countries he was welcomed with a warm embrace. Both Putin and Zelensky have remained in close contact with PM Modi over the duration of the Ukraine conflict – as India has a unique position maintaining friendly relations with both nations.

After his visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Modi reportedly sent National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to Moscow with a “peace plan”, which was reportedly handed over to President Putin when Mr Doval had a meeting with him.

During his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his commitment to peace and sustainable development. He emphasised that without peace, long-term progress is impossible. While the outcome of the war remains uncertain, India continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution,” said Mr. Misri.

India’s initiative to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine has been praised by US President Joe Biden and several European leaders too. President Biden had also praised India’s prominent global role, including Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and Global South, as well as his efforts to strengthen the Quad, ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

AGENDA FOR THE 16th BRICS SUMMIT

Apart from leaders of the 5 founding member states, some two dozen other leaders are also attending the summit, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The main issues on the agenda include Vladimir Putin’s idea for a BRICS-led payment system to rival SWIFT, an international financial network that Russian banks were cut off from in 2022, and the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Moscow:

Ukraine lobbed missiles and drones at Russia’s southwest region of Kursk overnight, the local governor said Wednesday, a day after pro-Kyiv forces crossed across the border with tanks and armoured vehicles.

“Two Ukrainian missiles were shot down by air defence systems in the Kursk region”, regional governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on Telegram social media channel, adding that three drones were also destroyed.

On Tuesday, Moscow’s defence ministry said it had rushed its troops and aviation units to the border in Kursk after a morning raid by Ukrainian units — the latest such attack in the conflict.

The incursion was carried out by some 300 troops, 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured vehicles, Russian authorities said.

Five people were killed throughout the day and some 28 wounded, Smirnov and local health authorities said.

Kursk sits just across from Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.

Ukrainian drones also targeted residential buildings in the border regions of Voronezh and Belgorod, with damage but no casualties reported, local officials said on Wednesday.

Combatants from Ukraine have made several brief incursions into Russia since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, including by units of Russians fighting in support of Kyiv — the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)