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In a significant step to strengthen its long-term defense, Ukraine has finalized a preliminary agreement to purchase as many as 100 Rafale jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, air defence systems and additional essential equipment from France. The agreement was formalized by Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France's leader Emmanuel Macron during a shared news conference at the Elysée palace. Zelenskyy described the arrangement as “an unprecedented agreement.”

Forcibly Deported Minors: Relatives Cut Off Communication

Several relatives of Ukraine's children who were taken against their will to Russia have sounded the alarm about their fate, stating that all contact has been severed. At a rare press event in the French capital, Darina Repina, who is responsible for two children taken after Moscow's full-scale military action of Ukraine in 2022, said that officials in Russia are ignoring every appeal to facilitate the children's return.

Unmanned Aerial Attack Targets Turkey-Registered Vessel in Odesa

A drone hit a Turkey-registered tanker and caused a fire in southern Ukraine's Odesa region, officials reported. The incident occurred just one day after Zelenskyy approved a agreement to import American liquefied natural gas through the area. The vessel was hit while unloading LPG at Izmail port, according to Turkey's Directorate for Maritime Affairs. Every one of the 16 crew members aboard were safely removed and not a single person was injured.

Romanian Authorities Relocate Communities Following Aerial Attack

Romania's authorities said they had evacuated two villages close to the Ukraine border after the aerial strike on the tanker. After invading Ukraine in recent years, Russian forces has consistently attacked Ukrainian harbors in the Danube area, causing warnings in adjacent the country.

United States Leader Trump Open to Approve Russian Penalties Bill

US president Trump is willing to sign legislation to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation, provided that he keeps ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, a senior U.S. administration official stated. The U.S. president told journalists late on Sunday that it was “OK with me” that Republicans were working on a bill to apply sanctions on nations doing business with Moscow over its inability to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

Poland's Prime Minister Describes Rail Blast an “Never-Before-Seen Case of Disruption”

Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, has described an blast along a part of railway line used for deliveries to Ukraine as an “unprecedented act of sabotage” that could have led to disaster. These remarks came as a announcement from public prosecutors indicating that an investigation had opened “concerning acts of disruption of a terrorist nature […] committed on orders of a foreign intelligence service against the Republic of the country.”

China Leader Shows Willingness to Expand Cooperation with Russia

China is ready to deepen cooperation with the Russian Federation in energy, farming and other financial ventures, Leader Li stated during a discussion with Russia's leader Mikhail Mishustin in the Russian capital. Li told his counterpart that China is open to more farm and food-related goods from Russia, according to the official media outlet. China also hopes that Moscow will make it easier for companies from China to invest and do business there, the source cited. Mishustin told his counterpart that the cooperation between the both nations has repeatedly demonstrated its strength to outside challenges.