Quadruple Summit in London to Support Ukraine and Field Escalation with Drones

SadaNews - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Prime Minister's residence in London to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine.

The British Prime Minister's office stated that the Ukrainian president would visit the United Kingdom with the French president and the German chancellor on Sunday.

The trio of countries—Britain, France, and Germany, known as the "E3" group which is meeting with the Ukrainian president—are among Kyiv's staunchest allies, with the UK and France leading the so-called "Alliance of the Willing" to provide security guarantees to Ukraine as part of the peace process.

Zelensky's visit to Britain follows a large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones targeting St. Petersburg, the second-largest city in Russia, on Saturday.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal from Zelensky to hold direct talks regarding the ongoing war, saying he sees "no benefit" in the meeting.

Russia Intercepts Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones

On the ground, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Saturday that its anti-aircraft units intercepted and destroyed 339 Ukrainian drones within 13 hours in various Russian regions, including Moscow.

The ministry published a list of 13 areas where the interceptions occurred, as well as areas over the Black Sea.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency announced the suspension of flights to various airports. Russian news agencies reported that 4 suspension orders were issued at different times on Saturday for the city of Sochi located on the Black Sea.

Russia Attacks Rescue Ships

On another note, Oleksiy Kulyba, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, stated on Saturday that Russian forces attacked two civilian rescue ships in Ukrainian waters, resulting in injuries.

Kulyba wrote in a post on Telegram: "The enemy launched attacks on two boats belonging to the maritime rescue service, which were carrying out a humanitarian mission within the Ukrainian maritime corridor," referring to a route in the Black Sea used for transporting ships to Romanian ports.

He added, "Unfortunately, there are injured. An evacuation is currently underway via boats belonging to the Ukrainian Navy."

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been conducting a military offensive against its neighbor Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv "abandon" its aspirations to join Western military entities, which the latter considers an "unacceptable intervention" in its internal affairs.

Source: Agencies