Russia has announced control over a town near the city of Turtsk in eastern Ukraine, where they shot down a MiG-29 fighter belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force. The victory for Russia could lead them to Kostyantynivka and then Kramatorsk, important areas in the region. Residents of Turetsk have reported increased bombing operations by Russia, prompting authorities to urge evacuation. In a separate incident, three people were injured by shrapnel as a result of a missile attack on the city of Sevastopol in Crimea.
Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and Ukraine are escalating after an attack by a Ukrainian march targeting a Russian village adjacent to Ukraine claimed the lives of five people, including two children, according to the governor of the Russian Kursk region. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Russian forces destroyed two S-300 air defense systems belonging to Ukrainian forces and targeted 7 Ukrainian brigades. In response, Ukrainian drones attacked a Russian village bordering Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of five people.
The prisoner exchange involving priests is another indication of the ongoing conflicts and tensions between the two countries. The Vatican helped facilitate the release of two Ukrainian Roman Catholic priests held in Moscow-occupied city. On the Russian side, a Ukrainian Orthodox clergy official and two priests were exchanged. As both sides continue their military operations and engage in diplomatic negotiations, it remains uncertain when peace will be achieved.
