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In a significant step to strengthen its long-term security, the Ukrainian government has signed a preliminary agreement to purchase as many as 100 Rafale jets, drones, air defense equipment and additional key gear from the French Republic. This deal was signed by Ukrainian president Zelenskyy and France's leader Macron during a joint news conference at the Elysée palace. The Ukrainian leader described the pact as “an unprecedented agreement.”

Forcibly Deported Minors: Relatives Cut Off Communication

A number of families of Ukrainian minors who were taken against their will to the Russian Federation have raised concerns about their fate, reporting that every line of communication has been cut off. At a rare press event in Paris, a legal guardian, who cares for two children taken after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said that Russian authorities are disregarding all requests to help with the minors' repatriation.

Unmanned Aerial Attack Targets Turkish-Flagged Vessel in Odesa

A drone hit a Turkish-flagged tanker and set it ablaze in the southern part of Ukraine's Odesa region, authorities said. The incident took place just one day after Zelenskyy signed a agreement to bring in American liquefied natural gas via the region. The MT Orinda was struck while offloading LPG at Izmail port, as stated by Turkish maritime authority. Every one of the 16 crew members aboard were safely removed and no one was hurt.

Romania's Officials Evacuate Villages After Aerial Attack

Romanian officials announced they had relocated two communities close to the Ukraine border following the drone attack on the tanker. Since entering Ukraine in recent years, Russian forces has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports in the Danube area, causing warnings in neighbouring the country.

US Leader Donald Trump Open to Approve Russian Sanctions Bill

The American leader Donald Trump is willing to approve a bill to impose penalties on the Russian Federation, as long as he keeps final decision-making authority over these actions, an high-ranking U.S. administration official stated. Trump told reporters recently that it was “acceptable to me” that Republicans were drafting a bill to apply sanctions on nations engaging commercially with Moscow over its failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with the Ukrainian government.

Poland's Leader Describes Railway Explosion an “Never-Before-Seen Act of Sabotage”

Poland's leader, Donald Tusk, has described an blast along a part of rail track used for deliveries to Ukraine as an “unprecedented instance of disruption” that could have resulted in disaster. These remarks came as a statement from legal authorities saying that an inquiry had opened “concerning actions of disruption of a terrorist kind […] committed on orders of a foreign spy service against the Republic of Poland.”

China Leader Expresses Readiness to Expand Cooperation with Russia

China is ready to deepen cooperation with the Russian Federation in the energy sector, farming and additional financial ventures, Premier Li said during a discussion with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin in the Russian capital. The Chinese premier told Mishustin that China welcomes more agricultural and food-related products from the nation, as per the official media outlet. China also hopes that Russia will facilitate for companies from China to invest and operate there, the report mentioned. The Russian leader assured his counterpart that the partnership between the both nations has consistently proven its strength to outside challenges.