The attack on oil and port facilities in Izmail, Odesa, was less than one mile from NATO territory – and has cast major doubt on Vladimir Putin’s commitment to securing peace in the region
NATO was forced to scramble war planes overnight for a second day in a row as Russia unleashed another wave of devastating strikes on Ukraine, leaving a city in flames and buildings blown to pieces.
The attack on oil and port facilities in Izmail, Odesa – less than one mile from NATO territory – has cast major doubt on Vladimir Putin’s commitment to peace even as the White House seeks to broker an urgent meeting between the Russian dictator and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The horror strikes hit facilities close to the River Danube, which is the Ukrainian border with allied state Romania. “Two Typhoon aircraft belonging to the German Air Force […] were scrambled to monitor the air situation in the border area with Ukraine, in the north of Tulcea County,” said a statement from the Romanian air force.
It is the second time in three days that allied planes have been scrambled in precautionary moves due to the intensity of Russian strikes. “The [Romanian] Ministry of National Defence’s air surveillance system identified groups of drones launched by the Russian Federation, which attacked Ukrainian ports on the Danube. During the mission, no airborne vehicles were recorded entering national airspace.”
The war planes later returned to base. “Close cooperation with allies in enhanced air policing missions strengthens Romania’s defence capability and contributes to the deterrence and defence posture on NATO’s eastern flank,” the statement said.
The attacks came despite Donald Trump’s claims that Putin had agreed to peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. The US President said he was arranging to get Zelensky and Putin in the same room within two weeks for talks aimed at ending the war.
Tump announced the move on Truth Social, saying: “At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself.”
There were immediate doubts over Putin’s sincerity due to both his overnight strikes on Ukraine, and his aide Yury Ushakov failing to specify that the Kremlin leader would personally take part in talks with Zelensky. On Tuesday, Russian attacks on Ukraine saw Tu-95MS strategic bombers unleashing cruise missiles as they flew over the Caspian Sea.
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