As part of the ongoing war, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that Moscow destroyed 39 Ukrainian drones overnight in an attempt at a "terrorist attack." The Russian ministry stated on Telegram that air defense systems intercepted 19 drones over the Kursk region and destroyed them, nine over the Belgorod region, three over the Voronezh region, and five over the Bryansk region, all adjacent to Ukraine. Additionally, three other drones were neutralized over the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The ministry condemned what it described as an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack against Russian territory, according to its statement. This comes as Russia reports almost daily the destruction of Ukrainian drones launched towards its territory. Meanwhile, Kyiv asserts that it conducts these strikes in response to the Russian military operation it has been facing for over two years and targets particularly energy infrastructure and logistics used by the Russian army to carry out its operations on Ukrainian soil.
In a related vein, the foreign ministers of the Quad group (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) expressed that the threat of using nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukrainian conflict is unacceptable, emphasizing the importance of respecting state sovereignty. According to the joint statement of the group, published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, there is consensus that the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of their use is unacceptable in the context of this war in Ukraine. They stressed the importance of adhering to international law, underscoring that under the provisions of the United Nations Charter, all countries should refrain from using or threatening to use force to violate the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or political independence of any state.
The ministers of foreign affairs also expressed their concern regarding the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Ukraine and its impact on food security and energy security, particularly in developing countries and least developed countries. Notably, the Quad group was established in 2007 as a mechanism for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. In 2017, the four countries formed an alliance as part of a new strategy to ensure the safety of shipping routes in the Asia-Pacific region.
