An Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, Irish and Ukrainian media reported. The sighting triggered a major security alert due to concerns it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, the Irish Times reported. The news outlet quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger. The Journal website reported that the drones reached the location where Zelenskyy’s plane was expected to be at the exact moment it had been due to pass. It said inquiries were being carried out to determine whether the drones took off from land or an undetected ship. They were first spotted north-east of Dublin, around 20km (12 miles) from the airport, both news outlets reported. Ukrainian media quoted an adviser to Zelenskyy, Dmytro Lytvyn, as saying that Ukrainian officials were made aware of the drones, but no action was deemed necessary. “According to their data, there were indeed such drones, but this did not affect the visit and there was no need to force any change to the visit.” Ireland’s Defence Forces said it had no comment on the specifics of any alleged incidents for security reasons. “However, Defence Forces support to the security operation, led by An Garda Siochana [police], was successfully deployed in multiple means ultimately leading to a safe and successful visit,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Vladimir Putin has warned again that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it. “Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories,” he told India Today. Putin, who is in India to meet Narendra Modi, said five-hour peace talks held on Tuesday with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were “necessary” and “useful,” but also “difficult work”. He said some proposals were unacceptable. European leaders have accused Putin of feigning interest in peace efforts.
Emmanuel Macron has reportedly warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “there is a chance that the US will betray Ukraine on territory, without clarity on security guarantees”, Der Spiegel reported, quoting a leaked note from a recent call with several European leaders. Macron described the current phase of negotiations as harbouring “a big danger” for Zelenskky, writes Deborah Cole. Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reportedly added that Zelenskky needed to be “very careful”. “They are playing games with both you and us,” Merz was reported as telling him – a remark the magazine concluded was a reference to a diplomatic mission to Moscow this week by Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Two days after US envoys met Vladimir Putin, the US treasury department partially suspended measures that Trump had announced in October when he finally vowed to get tough on Moscow. The department suspended until at least 29 April economic sanctions against Lukoil-branded gas stations outside Russia. A ban remains in place to prevent the money flowing back to Russia.
Steve Witkoff has met Ukraine’s national security council chief in Miami on Thursday as Washington steps up its diplomatic push to secure a pathway to peace. Moscow has in recent weeks sought to drive a wedge between Washington and European capitals in an effort to isolate Ukraine diplomatically and sideline Europe from any future settlement, Pjotr Sauer reports. In an evening address from Kyiv, Zelenskyy said: “Our task now is to obtain complete information about what has been said in Russia and what other reasons Putin has found to prolong the war and to pressure Ukraine, to pressure us, our independence.”
The Belgian prime minister, Bart De Wever, said on Thursday he hopes to have a “fruitful discussion” with Friedrich Merz on Friday about an EU plan to use Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine. The European Commission has proposed a “reparations loan” using Russian state assets frozen in the EU following Russia’s invasion. However, Belgium, which holds most of the assets, has raised various legal concerns and remains unconvinced by the plan. Merz, who has voiced support for the plan but also said the risks should be borne by all EU countries, not just Belgium.
Ukraine’s military said late on Thursday its forces had struck a large chemical plant in Stavropol region in southern Russia, triggering a fire. The military’s general staff, writing on Telegram, said the Nevinnomyssky Azot plant was hit overnight on Thursday and added the facility produced components for explosives. It described it as one of the largest such plants in Russia. There was no immediate reaction from Russian officials.
Turkey has warned Russia and Ukraine against targeting energy infrastructure after several Black Sea drone attacks claimed by Kyiv on Russia-linked tankers. In response to the attacks, Ankara has summoned Russian and Ukrainian envoys, a Turkish foreign ministry source told AFP on Thursday.
More than 130 Westminster MPs has written to ministers urging them to ensure any US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine includes protections for forcibly deported Ukrainian children. Tens of thousands of children in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia have been removed from their homes, with many taken to camps where they are indoctrinated and militarised, an effort widely seen as a war crime, reports Peter Walker.
