The day was marked by serious events: Russia carried out heavy strikes on Shostka, targeting a passenger train among other infrastructure. There are casualties and injuries, and the city has lost power as energy workers try to restore electricity. European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and Volodymyr Zelensky, condemned Russia's actions and called for tougher sanctions.
In Georgia, anti-Russian and anti-government protests erupted after municipal elections took place without opposition participation. Key opposition leaders, including former president Mikheil Saakashvili, are currently imprisoned, leading protesters to demand fair elections and a pro-European course. The government, backed by oligarch Ivanishvili, is resisting these demands, but demonstrations continue.
In the Czech Republic, political forces favoring closer ties with Russia prevailed in the elections. Populist Andrej Babiš obtained the largest share, but the process of forming a government continues, raising concerns over potential weakening of support for Ukraine. The President of the Czech Republic remains pro-Ukrainian.
Meanwhile, NATO conducted exercises based on the Ukrainian "Delta" system, demonstrating the high level of Ukrainian engineering. Ukraine remains a crucial part of European security discussions. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban pledged to shoot down Russian drones, though skepticism remains due to his ties with Moscow.
International tensions remain high. Ukraine continues to seek support from its partners and strives for integration into Western structures, highlighting its technological and security contributions to NATO.
