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Through a major move to strengthen its long-term defense, Ukraine has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire up to 100 Rafale jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, air defence systems and additional key gear from France. This deal was signed by Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French president Emmanuel Macron during a joint news conference at the Elysée palace. Zelenskyy described the pact as “an unprecedented deal.”

Forcibly Taken Children: Families Lose Contact

Several families of Ukraine's children who were forcibly deported to the Russian Federation have sounded the alarm about their well-being, reporting that all contact has been cut off. During a rare news conference in Paris, Darina Repina, who is responsible for two minors removed after Moscow's full-scale military action of Ukraine in recent years, stated that officials in Russia are ignoring every appeal to facilitate the minors' repatriation.

Unmanned Aerial Strike Hits Turkey-Registered Vessel in Odesa

A drone hit a Turkey-registered ship and caused a fire in southern the Odesa region, authorities said. The incident occurred just one day after Zelenskyy signed a agreement to bring in American LNG through the area. The MT Orinda was struck while offloading liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail harbor, according to Turkish Directorate for Maritime Affairs. All 16 crew aboard evacuated and no one was injured.

Romania's Authorities Relocate Communities After Drone Attack

Romanian officials said they had relocated two communities near the Ukraine frontier after the aerial strike on the MT Orinda. Since invading the country in 2022, Moscow has consistently attacked Ukraine's harbors in the Danube River region, causing alerts in adjacent Romania.

US Leader Trump Willing to Approve Russia Sanctions Legislation

US president Trump is willing to sign a bill to impose penalties on Russia, as long as he retains final decision-making authority over any such actions, a senior U.S. administration official said. The U.S. president told journalists late on Sunday that it was “OK with me” that Republicans were working on a bill to impose sanctions on nations engaging commercially with Moscow over its failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

Poland's Prime Minister Calls Rail Explosion an “Never-Before-Seen Act of Sabotage”

Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has described an blast along a section of railway line used for shipments to Ukraine as an “unprecedented instance of disruption” that might have resulted in disaster. This statement came as a announcement from legal authorities indicating that an inquiry had opened “concerning actions of disruption of a terrorist nature […] carried out on orders of a foreign intelligence service against the Republic of Poland.”

Chinese Premier Expresses Willingness to Expand Cooperation with Russian Federation

The Chinese government is prepared to strengthen cooperation with the Russian Federation in the energy sector, agriculture and additional investments, Leader Li stated during a meeting with Russian prime minister Mishustin in the Russian capital. Li told his counterpart that the country is open to more agricultural and food goods from the nation, as per a state-run media outlet. The Chinese side also hopes that Russia will make it easier for Chinese enterprises to put money and do business in Russia, the source mentioned. Mishustin assured Li that the cooperation between the both nations has consistently proven its strength to outside pressures.