On Friday, the Russian-Ukrainian fronts witnessed further escalation and fighting, as the Israeli army attempts to gain more ground, while Kyiv continues to resist with the assistance of Western military support. In the latest field developments, Russia intercepted more than 100 drones launched by Ukraine overnight over southern Ukraine, above the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, according to the Ministry of Defense.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a press release that it intercepted 51 drones and 6 maritime drones in Crimea, and 44 drones over the Krasnodar region, along with six other drones over the Belgorod region. It added, "During the night, the naval aviation and patrol boats of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed six maritime drones in the waters of the Black Sea."
Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Kharkiv can be considered a farewell. Medvedev wrote on the social media platform "VKontakte": "Zelensky visited Kharkiv. A strong step. A farewell visit. Did he throw a coin into the water? Or does he want it this way?" He accompanied the post with an image depicting the execution of Mussolini.
Earlier reports indicated that Zelensky visited Kharkiv and held a meeting at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the region. The Ukrainian president stated in an interview with ABC News that Ukraine could lose Kharkiv if it does not receive Patriot air defense systems. Ukrainian officials admitted that the situation near Kharkiv has become serious, but they claimed that there are no signs of the city's surrender.
