Ukraine updates: Russian attacks kill at least 4 civilians

Ukrainian President Volodymyr on Friday called talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan "sincere and fruitful," hailing agreements on joint defense projects and the streamlining of trade between the two countries.

Zelenskyy, who was primarily in Turkey to discuss the details of his country's ongoing defense against Russia, voiced optimism over bilateral economic cooperation as well as Turkey's role in postwar reconstruction in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He also mentioned talks with defense industry leaders in Turkey.

Turkish President Erdogan, for his part, spoke of his intention to host peace talks to between Ukraine and Russia.  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, said his country was ready to host a summit to facilitate ending Russia's war on Ukraine.

Erdogan, who says Turkey respects Ukraine's territorial integrity, reported that he and Zelenskyy had discussed the war, as well as Black Sea navigational security. 

"We are ready to host a peace summit where Russia is also present," Erdogan announced during a press conference after the two met.

However, Zelenskyy has said Russia would not be invited to the first of such meetings to be held in Switzerland, insisting a roadmap must be determined first by Ukraine's allies.

The Turkish leader said his country would also "strongly contribute" to rebuilding Ukraine after the conflict ends.

Erdogan has sought to position himself as a logical mediator, maintaining good relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the war.

"While we continue our solidarity with Ukraine, we will continue our work to end the war with peace on the basis of negotiation," Erdogan said.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba said during a visit to Lithuania on Friday that the country needed an "unrestricted and timely supply" of all kinds of weapons to ensure Russia's defeat. 

"The strategy of dripping support for Ukraine drop by drop does not work anymore," he told a press conference in Vilnius.

"What is required is an unrestricted and timely supply of all types of weapons and ammunition to ensure that Ukraine defeats Russia and the war in Europe does not spill over," Kuleba said. 

Both practical and political holdups are behind some of the delays in providing weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. On one level, NATO's own stockpiles and supplies are dwindling, particularly for ammunition, as the conflict continues. Then on the political side, a deadlock in Congress in the US in particular in recent months has halted the approval of the White House's planned assistance for 2024.

The foreign ministers of France, Latvia, Estonia, and hosts Lithuania joined Kuleba for talks in Vilnius on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Istanbul where he is set to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ukrinform state news agency said.

Ahead of the trip, Zelenskyy's office said that Kyiv's proposed formula for peace regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war, and Black Sea navigation safety, were all on the agenda.

The Black Sea grain agreement was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022. Under this arrangement, Russia and Ukraine had agrteed to reciprocal guarantees for grain exports via the Black Sea.

While in Turkey, Zelenskyy also wants to speak about the planned peace summit in Switzerland.

Ukrainian officials and politicians have again appealed for backing of a peace plan during talks with Chinese special envoy Li Hui.

The sides discussed the "possibility of China's support in ending the forced deportations of Ukrainian children, the exchange of prisoners, demilitarization and the de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant," said Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. 

Yermak said that "prospects of establishing a just peace" were also discussed with Li on the basis of Ukraine's proposed "peace formula." 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Beijing has already proposed a peace plan, but Ukraine insists that only Zelenskyy's plan should be implemented.

The Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala said an international initiative to buy arms for Ukraine had raised enough to purchase 300,000 artillery shells initially, revising down a number of 800,000 given by the country's president.

On Thursday President Petr Pavel said that 800,000 shells would be given to Ukraine.

"We have managed to raise enough money to buy the first batch of 300,000 artillery shells," Prime Minister Petr Fiala said in an update.

"However, our goal is to deliver much more! We keep seeking partners so that we can continue to support Ukraine in its brave fight against the Russian aggressor," he said online.  

Ukraine has been battling with dwindling supplies of ammunition amid concerns that support for its defensive efforts against Russia are waning.

EU nations pledged 1 million shells by the end of March but have fallen well short in deliveries.

The French defense minister on Friday moved to dispel notions of Western combat forces fighting on the ground in Ukraine, in comments made to local media.

The comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron said "no option should be ruled out" permanently, given what's already changed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at a summit he hosted in February.

Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Macron's comments had been "taken out of context."

"There were hypotheses clearly put on the table but not combat ground troops as may have been said here or there," Lecornu told broadcaster BFMTV.

"But between the transfer of arms and co-belligerence — in other words direct war with Russia — have we done everything within that space? Are there paths that we can explore? And notably paths involving a military presence?" he asked.

Lecornu said this could include mine clearance and the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian soil.

"The more Ukraine needs to conscript, to raise up its army, the greater the need will be to ramp up training," he added.

Germany and Poland repeated their positions on Tuesday, saying that troops would not be sent to Ukraine.

Authorities in India have detained members of a suspected trafficking network, allegedly sending citizens to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued a statement saying it had conducted raids on Thursday across 13 locations, detaining "suspects."

The CBI said around 35 people had been sent to Russia under the scheme so far.

At least two men who went to Russia expecting to work as "helpers" in the army have died while fighting on the frontlines, their families have said.

India's Embassy in Russia confirmed one of those deaths.

Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that his country would supply Ukraine with more than 10,000 drones to help in the fight against Russia's invasion.

The Ministry of Defence said it was spending a further £125 million ($160 million) on "cutting-edge drones", bringing its overall drone package to Ukraine to £325 million.

"Drones are changing the course of the war in Ukraine. That’s why today the UK is boosting its delivery of drones to the frontline - upping our commitment from £200m to £325m," Shapps said on social media platform X.

"By doing so we will get over 10,000 new drones to Ukraine and remain Ukraine’s largest drone supplier," he added.

Ukraine has been using drones to devastating effect since Russia launched its invasion over two years ago.

Drones are not only used for battlefield surveillance but also to carry grenades and explosives that are dropped on Russian vehicles, soldiers, and supply lines.

Ukrainian frontline units regularly post videos on social media documenting their battlefield activity.

Authorities in Ukraine on Friday said that four people had been killed in a wave of overnight attacks.

Governor of Kharkov, Oleh Synegubov, said a multiple rocket launcher attack killed two people in Kupiansk, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in late 2022.

"Houses and cars were damaged. A 36-year-old man was rescued from the rubble. A 64-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man died," he wrote on Telegram.

Synegubov also said that a guided aerial bomb killed a woman in Vovchansk, which lies seven kilometres (four miles) from the Russian border.  

In separate strike in the Chernihiv region, north of Kyiv, mortar fire killed one person, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Telegram.

Neither of the accounts can be independently verified.

Meanwhile, Ukraine reported its air defense systems shot down 33 out of 37 Russian drones launched in an overnight attack.

A facility in the southern Odesa region was damaged, officials and the military said on Friday.

The military said in a statement that 18 Shahed drones were shot downed over the Odesa region, and another four over Mykolaiv and Kherson in the south of the country.

"At night the enemy again attacked the Odesa region with drones. Unfortunately, it was not possible to prevent the hits," said Oleh Kiper, Odesa regional governor.

The Black Sea port of Odesa and surrounds have come under increasing Russian attacks after Moscow withdrew from a UN-brokered deal that allowed safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea.

kb/rc (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)