Ukraine-Russia war latest news: Blow for Putin’s forces as Crimea airfield hit and Russia drone debris found in Romania

Ukraine said on Friday its missile forces carried out a strike on a Russian military airfield in Crimea that has been used for long-range attacks against it, the latest in a series of blows to the Russian military on the occupied peninsula.

Ukraine has ramped up long-range attacks on Crimea in recent months and says the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet, which is headquartered in Sevastopol, has been forced to move its combat vessels to safer harbour elsewhere.

The Ukrainian military’s general staff said in a statement that Russia‘s Saky airfield in western Crimea was the latest target to be struck and that it was assessing the aftermath.

“This is one of the operational airfields that Russia uses to control the airspace, in particular the Black Sea, and for launching airstrikes on Ukrainian territory,” it said.

The statement did not say which weapon was used but that the attack was carried out by Ukraine‘s missile forces alongside other contingents. There was no immediate comment from Russia‘s defence ministry or local Moscow-installed officials.

When Donald Trump suggested during the 2016 presidential campaign that he might not honor a U.S. commitment to defend other NATO countries if they were attacked, it triggered alarm throughout the trans-Atlantic alliance.

With Trump’s “America First” rhetoric drawing cheers from fervent supporters, the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is once again on the agenda. But this time, European leaders acknowledge the alliance must evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century and say they are ready to shoulder more responsibility for their own defense.

The Kremlin on Friday welcomed Donald Trump’s comments on Russia being “a war machine” that had defeated Napoleon and Hitler, but said it was not wearing rose-tinted spectacles when it came to the U.S. Republican presidential candidate.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a question about comments Trump said he had made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a phone call on July 19.

Trump told Fox News later that he had told Zelenskiy that the war needed to be brought to an end.

“This is a war machine you’re facing. That’s what they (the Russians) do they fight wars. They beat Hitler. They beat Napoleon. We got to get this war over with,” said Trump.

Commenting on Trump’s remarks, Peskov said: “It will probably be useful for most of the American audience to know that there are many glorious pages in the history of Russia, and indeed, probably few people in the U.S., we mean ordinary Americans, and maybe representatives of the so-called political establishment, know history in such depth.”

The former prisoners of war still puzzle over the strange events leading up to the night now seared into their memories, when an explosion ripped through the Russian-controlled Olenivka prison barracks and killed so many comrades two years ago.

Among the survivors: Kyrylo Masalitin, whose months in captivity and long beard age him beyond his 30 years. Arsen Dmytryk, the informal commander of the group of POWs that was shifted without explanation to a room newly stocked with bare bunks. And Mykyta Shastun, who recalled guards laughing as the building burned, acting not at all like men under enemy attack.

Usyk, 37, who defeated Britain’s Tyson Fury in May to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in nearly 25 years, was speaking at an event in London to mark the departure of the ‘Vehicles for Ukraine’ convoy.

The vehicles have been donated to Ukraine through London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) scrappage scheme for humanitarian and medical aid and they set off for the war-torn country on Thursday from the capital.

Russia will carefully consider how to respond to the European Union’s transfer to Ukraine of 1.5 billion euros ($1.63 billion) taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier that the EU was transferring the funds to Kyiv on Friday for “the defence and reconstruction of Ukraine.”

In a call with reporters, Peskov said that the EU’s move was “illegal” and that Russia would take “well-thought-out actions” in response.

He said: “Such steps by the European Commission will not remain unanswered.”

Russia has repeatedly threatened retaliation to any use of frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged China to prevent its companies from supporting Russia‘s military, his office said on Friday following a meeting between Lammy and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

The two spoke on the sidelines of an ASEAN Foreign Ministers event in Laos for what was their first meeting since Lammy took office following the Labour Party’s July 4 British election win.

“The Foreign Secretary underlined the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine and urged China to prevent its companies supporting Russia‘s military industrial complex which poses a material threat to international security and prosperity,” the British statement said.

The foreign office described the meeting as constructive and said Lammy used it to set out the government’s “long-term, consistent and strategic approach to UK-China relations.”

“He set out that the government would cooperate where we can, compete where needed and challenge where we must,” the statement said.

“He made clear the UK would always stand firm in prioritising our national security, as well as supporting human rights.”

Earlier, a statement issued by China following the meeting said Wang had told Lammy the two countries should “establish the right policy orientation, (and) uphold a balanced, pragmatic, open and cooperative attitude.”