In an apparent move to target a secretive spy headquarters, Ukraine detonated a high-rise apartment building in Chechnya. Concurrently, Russian drones struck a residential house in central Ukraine, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old boy, while Ukrainian strikes hit a Russian port and an oil refinery from a distance.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has once again accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of delaying peace talks. The drone attack in Grozny city center targeted a crucial skyscraper, causing a significant explosion and severe damage to multiple floors.
The targeted building is adjacent to the Chechnyan FSB HQ, the local equivalent of the Russian clandestine service, indicating it might have been the primary objective. However, it could also have been an effort to strike the nearby residence of regional leader and warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.
Videos shared on Telegram news channels depicted shattered windows and charred sections across various floors of the 28-story Business Center Grozny-City tower, located approximately 2,700 feet from Kadyrov’s residence in central Grozny.
As a consequence of the attack, civil aviation authorities enforced temporary flight restrictions at airports in Grozny and several neighboring cities early Friday, potentially causing a diplomatic challenge for President Putin, who has been receiving significant attention from Prime Minister Modi in Delhi, strengthening India-Russia relations despite external pressures.
The strike represents the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks within Chechnya, where Ukrainian troops have been supporting the full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian drones also targeted Gudermes, another town in Chechnya, focusing on a site utilized by the Akhmat Regiment, a unit of Russia’s National Guard predominantly comprising Chechen fighters under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov.
Putin is engaged in talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an annual summit aimed at enhancing bilateral ties on the second day of his state visit. This summit occurs amidst heightened pressure from the United States for a peace deal in Ukraine while seeking global collaboration, challenging New Delhi’s delicate balance between Moscow and Washington amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
President Zelensky expressed the desire for updates on the Kremlin talks from the U.S. side via the Ukrainian delegation in Miami. Notably, discussions between Russian President Putin and U.S. envoys at the Kremlin earlier, along with the subsequent talks in Miami, have not yielded any breakthrough, prolonging the four-year conflict.
Accusations from Zelensky and European supporters against Putin for stalling peace talks while advancing the Russian invasion persist. Zelensky emphasized the need to understand Putin’s motivations for prolonging the conflict and pressuring Ukraine in a video address.
Meanwhile, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, accompanying Putin to India, reiterated Russia’s criticism of Europe’s stance on peace talks. Ushakov highlighted the challenges in reaching a settlement on Ukrainian issues due to European demands deemed unacceptable by Moscow.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine, a Russian drone strike demolished a house, resulting in the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy and injuries to two women. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia deployed 137 drones of various types during the night, with Ukrainian drones retaliating by attacking a port in Russia’s Krasnodar region near the Ukrainian border.