The European Union has formally approved the launch of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova next week, marking another significant milestone in the two nations’ journey to join the 27-member bloc. Belgium, currently holding the EU presidency, announced that member states have agreed on a negotiating framework. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the commencement of these talks a “historic step,” stating, “Millions of Ukrainians, and indeed generations of our people, are realizing their European dream,” in a post on X.
In the ongoing conflict, a Russian guided bomb killed two people and wounded three in a residential area of Selydove, an eastern Ukrainian town about 14km (nine miles) from the frontline, according to Donetsk regional prosecutors. The bomb damaged five five-storey buildings and six homes.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military reported that its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations, and other military targets in Russia early Friday. "Unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the Afipsky, Ilsky, Krasnodar, and Astrakhan oil refineries," they stated on Telegram. Russian emergency officials confirmed on Telegram that three municipalities in Krasnodar were subjected to a “massive attack.” The Astra social media channel reported drone strikes in Yeysk, home to a military airfield, causing fires. NASA satellite fire monitoring indicated hotspots at the airbase. The Krasnodar region is located across the Kerch Strait from Crimea.
Additionally, Ukrainian drone attacks disabled two electricity substations in Enerhodar, the town serving the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, cutting power to most residents. However, Russian-installed officials stated that the power plant itself was unaffected.
Ukraine also announced it is sending reinforcements to Chasiv Yar, a strategically important hilltop town in the Donetsk region. This embattled flashpoint is crucial, and its capture could facilitate further Russian advances into the industrial territory.
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