• Russia warns of “tough retaliatory measures” after accusing Ukraine of launching  drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea.
• The Ukrainian military has retaken 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) of territory in the south in the past week, according to Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar.
• Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, says Moscow should broaden its target range in Ukraine and “strike where it is not expected”.

Ships anchor near Ukrainian ports after Russian attacks on grain storage units

Nearly 30 ships have anchored around Ukraine’s Izmail port after Russia struck Danube, according to marine traffic data.

Three more vessels also dropped anchor along the waterway leading to Reni-Odesa.

The reason behind their anchoring is unclear, but comes after Moscow’s attacks on Ukrainian grain storage units.

Lithuania’s Landsbergis calls on NATO to ‘double-down’ on efforts

Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabriel Landsbergis says that after the Vilnius NATO Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin “feels emboldened to escalate.”

“We must make sure our determination to help Ukraine to victory, and NATO membership, is better understood. Time to double-down on our efforts,” he said in a tweet. “Since Vilnius NATO summit Putin feels emboldened to escalate, pulling out of the grain deal, attacking Odesa and now a Danube port. We must make sure our determination to help Ukraine to victory, and NATO membership, is better understood. Time to double-down on our efforts.”

Putin ally accuses U.S. of planning cyberattacks on Russia

The Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, has accused the United States of planning cyberattacks against Russia’s “critical information infrastructure”, according to Russian state media reports.

Patrushev said that the US Cyber Command, National Security Agency (NSA) and NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence based in Estonia, were planning and directing the attacks “under the Ukrainian flag”.

Patrushev’s allegations were published by the government’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper.

China sending gear to equip Russian army: Politico

An investigation by Politico has revealed that China has been sending military gear to equip Russia’s army.

Chinese companies like Shanghai H Win has been supplying hundreds of thousands of bulletproof vests and helmet.

Leaders in the West have repeatedly warned China not to militarily aid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Beijing has not condemned Moscow’s actions in Ukraine so far, but has proposed a 12-point peace plan to end the war.

Ukrainian intelligence official says Kyiv behind Moscow drone attack: CNN

A Ukrainian defence intelligence official has told CNN that Kyiv was behind the Moscow drone attack.

According to CNN, the official was speaking on the condition of anonymity because the person was not yet allowed to talk publicly about the incident.

Russia now producing more munitions per month than all of 2022: Minister

Russian Industry Minister Denis Manturov says the defence industry is now producing more ammunition per month than it did during all of last year, according to a report by Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

Russia says ‘reserves the right to take tough retaliatory measures’ after drone attacks

The Russian ministry of defence has said in a statement that the country “reserves the right to take tough retaliatory measures”, after drone attacks on Moscow.

Russia claims that Ukraine launched drones which hit Moscow and Crimea.

“We regard what happened as another use of terrorist methods by the military-political leadership of Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app and highlighted that “these attacks had no military meaning”.

“We strongly condemn this yet another crime of the Kyiv regime. We call on international organisations to give it a proper assessment,” ministry added.

The ministry also said that Ukraine’s actions were a result of “the West’s

focus on further aggravating the situation” and added that the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened criminal cases on the drone attacks.

Officials in Kyiv have denied these claims.

Ukraine will share report on cluster ammunition use with US: Minister

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has told CNN that Kyiv will share a report with the Pentagon on the country’s use of cluster munitions, in the coming days.

He said he expects the ammunition will be effective against Russian infantry in particular.

“I hope that they will be more efficient than normal ammunition,” he said in an interview on Sunday.

Last week, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the US-provided cluster bombs – which are banned by more than 120 countries – were having an effect on Russian defensive formations and the manoeuvring of Russia’s forces.

SOURCE : ALJAZEERA