Kyiv, Sep 5 (AP) – On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before the signing of a peace agreement would be regarded as “legitimate targets” by Moscow's forces.
Putin made this announcement. Hours after European leaders renewed their commitment to a possible peacekeeping force, a proposal that Moscow has consistently called “unacceptable.” Addressing a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, the far eastern Russian city, Putin declared, “If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets.”
Putin also expressed skepticism. About the notion of introducing peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a conclusive peace deal, emphasizing that “no one should doubt” Moscow’s commitment to adhering to a treaty designed to end its 3½-year full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Putin stressed the necessity for security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized. The need for “legally binding documents” to solidify such agreements. “Of course, you can't just take anybody's word for something,” he told the Russian news outlet Argumenty i Fakty.
Putin's statements followed comments from French President Emmanuel Macron. On Thursday, Macron indicated that 26 of Ukraine’s allies had committed to deploying troops as a “reassurance force” for Ukraine once fighting ceases. Following a meeting in Paris with the coalition of the willing, a group comprising 35 countries that back Ukraine, Macron shared that 26 countries had promised to deploy troops to Ukraine or maintain a presence on land, at sea, or in the air to help ensure the country’s security post-ceasefire or peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed participants. At the international economic conference, the Ambrosetti Forum, on Friday, highlighting the importance that security guarantees “start working now, during the war, and not only after it ends.” He noted that more details could not be disclosed due to their sensitive nature related to the military sphere.
Ongoing Drone Strikes. Russian troops launched 157 strike and decoy drones and seven missiles of various types on Ukraine overnight, as reported by Ukraine’s air force on Friday. Air defences managed to shoot down or jam 121 of the drones.
One attack inflicted damage. On multiple residential buildings in Dnipro, central Ukraine, according to regional administration head Serhii Lysak on social media. The regional administration also mentioned that an unspecified “facility” was set alight during the strike, though further details were not provided.
Lysak shared images. Of residential buildings with damaged roofs, shattered glass on the ground, and people boarding up broken windows with wooden planks. “Private homes were damaged. Windows in apartment buildings were shattered,” he wrote.
In Ukraine's Chernihiv region north of Kyiv. Russian drones targeted infrastructure in the Novhorod-Siversk district, leaving at least 15 settlements without electricity, as reported by local authorities.
On another front, Russian troops claimed. To have destroyed 92 Ukrainian drones overnight, as stated by Russia’s Defence Ministry on Friday. In Ryazan, a city approximately 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow, local social media channels reported an attack on the city’s Rosneft oil refinery, with shared videos showing what appeared to be a fire against the night sky.
Local Governor Pavel Malkov mentioned. That drone debris fell on an “industrial enterprise,” but refrained from providing additional details, instead cautioning residents against posting images of air defenses on social media. (AP) NPK NPK
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