Ukraine, Russia exchange attacks while West coordinates sanctions on Moscow

Shafaq News – Moscow / Kyiv

Deadly strikes raged across the border as Ukrainian and Russian forces exchanged attacks on Tuesday, while the United States and European Union moved to coordinate new sanctions to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations.

Ukrainian forces launched a “massive” drone attack on Donetsk, killing two civilians, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS, citing local officials.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that Ukrainian troops recaptured the village of Zarichne in Donetsk.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported.

Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the attacks. Four people were killed and 10 injured in Donetsk, Governor Vadym Filashkin posted on Telegram. In Zaporizhia, two people died and one was wounded after Russian forces carried out 449 strikes across 17 settlements.

In Brussels, the European Union is coordinating closely with the United States on a new sanctions package targeting Russia, EU Council President Antonio Costa affirmed. His remarks coincided with a visit to Washington by the EU’s top sanctions official, David O’Sullivan, and a team of experts to explore possible coordinated measures.

In turn, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bissant urged the EU to join Washington in imposing further sanctions on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil, aiming to push the Russian economy toward collapse and compel President Putin to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin maintained that sanctions would not alter Russia’s stance. “No sanctions will be able to force the Russian Federation to change the consistent position that our president has repeatedly spoken about,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.