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In a significant move to strengthen its long-term defense, the Ukrainian government has finalized a preliminary agreement to acquire as many as 100 Rafale fighter warplanes, drones, air defense equipment and other key equipment from the French Republic. This deal was formalized by Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France's leader Emmanuel Macron during a joint news conference at the Elysée presidential residence. The Ukrainian leader described the pact as “an unprecedented deal.”

Against Their Will Taken Children: Families Lose Contact

A number of relatives of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported to Russia have sounded the alarm about their fate, reporting that all contact has been severed. During a rare press event in Paris, a legal guardian, who is responsible for two children removed after Moscow's full-scale invasion of the country in recent years, stated that Russian authorities are disregarding every appeal to facilitate the children's return.

Unmanned Aerial Strike Targets Turkish-Flagged Vessel in Southern Ukraine

A drone hit a Turkish-flagged tanker and caused a fire in southern the Odesa region, officials said. This event took place just one day after Zelenskyy approved a deal to import US LNG via the region. The vessel was struck while offloading LPG at Izmail harbor, as stated by Turkey's Directorate for Maritime Affairs. Every one of the 16 crew members aboard evacuated and no one was injured.

Romania's Authorities Evacuate Communities After Aerial Attack

Romanian authorities said they had evacuated two communities near the Ukrainian border after the drone attack on the MT Orinda. Since entering the country in recent years, Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian harbors in the Danube area, causing alerts in adjacent the country.

United States Leader Trump Willing to Approve Russian Penalties Legislation

US president Donald Trump is willing to sign a bill to impose penalties on Russia, as long as he keeps final decision-making authority over any such measures, an high-ranking U.S. administration representative stated. Trump informed reporters recently that it was “OK with me” that GOP members were drafting a bill to impose sanctions on countries engaging commercially with Moscow over its failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Describes Railway Blast an “Never-Before-Seen Act of Disruption”

Poland's prime minister, Tusk, has described an explosion along a section of railway line used for shipments to Ukraine as an “unprecedented instance of disruption” that could have resulted in disaster. These remarks coincided with a statement from legal authorities indicating that an investigation had been initiated “regarding acts of disruption of a terror-related nature […] carried out on orders of a foreign spy service against the Republic of Poland.”

China Premier Expresses Readiness to Deepen Cooperation with Russia

The Chinese government is prepared to strengthen cooperation with the Russian Federation in energy, agriculture and additional investments, Leader Li said during a discussion with Russian prime minister Mishustin in Moscow. The Chinese premier informed his counterpart that China is open to more farm and food-related goods from the nation, according to a state-run news agency. The Chinese side also desires that Russia will make it easier for Chinese enterprises to put money and do business in Russia, the report mentioned. The Russian leader assured Li that the partnership between the both nations has consistently proven its resilience to outside challenges.