On the 1,205th day since the start of the war in Ukraine, authorities in Kiev have estimated that over a million casualties have been inflicted on Russian troops, including dead and injured. Additionally, Moscow is said to have lost nearly 11,000 tanks, 416 fighter jets, 28 warships, and a submarine.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 49 out of a total of 63 Russian drones last night. The main attack areas were the regions of Kharkiv, where four people died and a dozen were injured on Thursday, Donetsk, and Odesa.
Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius traveled to Kiev to discuss increased military assistance with the government of Zelensky. "We are doing everything possible to support Ukraine in defending itself and reaching a position where Russia is willing to engage in serious negotiations," stated the German leader.
Russia and Ukraine held a second round of peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month. However, fighting has intensified as the two sides disagree on key issues such as territorial concessions and Ukraine's future NATO membership prospects.
On the other hand, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used Russia Day, commemorating the country's declaration of sovereignty in 1990, to express support for the "aspirations of the Russian people for a brighter future" while reaffirming the U.S.' desire to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine.
At least four dead and a dozen injured in a new Russian attack on Kharkiv
At least four civilians died on Thursday in a new Russian drone attack on the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, a day after four others died and 60 were injured under similar circumstances.
According to emergency services, over a dozen people were injured, including several children.
Rescue and firefighting efforts are still ongoing.
Russia shoots down fifty drones in Ukraine on Russia Day
Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down 52 Ukrainian drones last night, three of them in the Moscow region, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The fixed-wing aircraft were intercepted between 9 p.m. on Wednesday and after 4 a.m. on Thursday, Russia Day.
The most affected region was once again the border region of Belgorod with 41 downings, followed by Bryansk with six, the Moscow region with three, and the annexed Crimea peninsula with two.
Ukraine neutralizes 49 out of 63 drones launched by Russia
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Thursday that they had successfully neutralized 49 out of 63 Russian drones launched against Ukraine, including 'Shahed' (kamikaze) type drones and replica drones.
According to the Air Force on Telegram, the drones took off from Russian regions of Kursk, Orel, Milerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and the annexed Crimea peninsula. Of the 49 neutralized drones, 28 were shot down, while 21 were suppressed through electronic interference.
The main attack areas were the regions of Kharkiv (northeast), Donetsk (east), and Odesa (south), where seven impacts were recorded, with drone fragments falling in four locations.
In the Odesa region, the attacks caused fires in warehouses with machinery, but no injuries were reported. However, in Kharkiv, at least 14 civilians were injured in the attacks, including four children.
Ukraine claims Russian casualties, including dead and injured, exceed one million
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated on Thursday that the number of Russian casualties has surpassed one million, including dead and injured, in the nearly three and a half years since the war began in February 2022.
"One million lost for nothing: Russia has not achieved a single one of its strategic objectives on a large scale. And it won't," Sibiga affirmed on the X social network.
The minister emphasized that Ukraine did not start the war and wants it to end more than anyone else, but Russia is hindering all attempts to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict, rejecting Kiev's proposals for a ceasefire and a presidential-level meeting. "Pressure on the aggressor must be increased," he demanded.
According to Ukrainian figures, Moscow's personal casualties now amount to 1,000,340, while Russia has also lost 10,933 tanks, 416 fighter jets, 28 warships, and a submarine.
In addition, Kiev counted 22,786 troop transport vehicles, 29,063 artillery systems, 40,435 operational-tactical drones, and 3,337 cruise missiles destroyed.
Ukraine says it attacked an electronics factory in the Moscow region
The Ukrainian army stated on Thursday that it had attacked the Rezonit electronics factory in the Moscow region overnight. The army reported explosions at the factory, which produces electronic components widely used in the production of weapons and high-tech equipment, in a message on the Telegram messaging app.
At least 14 injured in a new Russian nighttime attack on Kharkiv
At least 14 civilians were injured on Thursday in a nighttime drone attack by Russia on the city of Kharkiv, a day after three people died and another 60 were injured under similar circumstances.
Saltivski, Slobodski, and Shevchenkiv in the city; homes, businesses, and cars burned. 14 people were injured, including four children," reported the State Emergency Services on Telegram.
On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, drone attacks resulted in the deaths of three people, a 47-year-old woman and two 65-year-old men, with another 60 injured, including a five-year-old child.
Marco Rubio congratulates Russia and reaffirms calls for peace with Ukraine
The United States supports the aspirations of the Russian people for a better future, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Russia Day, reaffirming the desire for constructive engagement in efforts to achieve peace in the war with Ukraine. Russia Day commemorates the country's declaration of sovereignty in 1990.
"The United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build their aspirations for a brighter future," Rubio said in a statement on the State Department's website.
On Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported that Moscow's new ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, pledged to work towards fully restoring ties with Washington when formally presenting his credentials to President Donald Trump.
German Defense Minister travels to Kiev
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev on Thursday for a visit amid the stalemate in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as reported by a spokesperson for the German ministry.
This is Pistorius' first visit to Ukraine under Chancellor conservative Friedrich Merz's government. Pistorius last visited Ukraine in January. Merz criticized Russia on Tuesday for "terror against the Ukrainian civilian population" after Moscow intensified its bombings.
Pistorius is expected to hold talks with representatives of the Ukrainian government on increased military assistance from Berlin, according to Dpa agency. "We are doing everything possible to support Ukraine in defending itself and reaching a position where Russia is willing to engage in serious negotiations," Pistorius stated before his departure.