Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy denies stalemate claims

Russia has carried out a successful test launch of the "Bulava" ballistic missile.

The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

"Firing a ballistic missile is the final element of state tests, after which a decision will be made to accept the cruiser into the Navy," Russia's Defense Ministry said.

The intercontinental missile launched from an underwater in the White Sea off the northern coast of Russia and hit a target on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East, according to the ministry.

The Kremlin has argued that it needs to maintain its nuclear deterrent to counter security threats. Western countries have accused Moscow of reckless nuclear rhetoric since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine in February 2022.

On Friday, Putin signed into law Russia's withdrawal from an international treaty that banned nuclear weapons testing.

Ukraine's armed forces said it struck a shipyard in Russian-occupied Crimea with 15 cruise missiles on Saturday.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defense systems destroyed 13 of the Ukrainian missiles.

The Russian-installed governor of Crimea said downed missile fragments landed on the dry dock in Kerch and added that there were no casualties.

However, Russian media reported that one of the newest ships in the country's naval fleet, the Askold, was damaged in the incident.

Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine's air force, said he hoped "another ship has followed the Moskva," referring to the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessel that was sunk by Ukrainian missiles last year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was "Russia's goal" for the war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas to draw attention away from Ukraine.

"Of course, it's clear that the war in the Middle East, this conflict, is taking away the focus," he said during a joint press conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv.

"We have already been in very difficult situations when there was almost no focus on Ukraine," he added. "I am absolutely sure we will overcome this challenge."

Ukraine is aiming to become a weapons manufacturing hub for Western nations, according to the new Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin.

Kamysyhin gained a reputation as head national railway company Ukrzaliznytsia for ensuring that trains continued to run on time despite the war. He was appointed to his new role eight months ago.

"We're really focusing on making Ukraine the arsenal of the free world," he said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Ukraine barely had a domestic arms industry before 2022, but it now counts around 500 private and state-owned companies that produce or develop equipment for the battlefield.

"We are focused on producing all types of weapons and ammunition, and we show that we can test it on the battlefield and make it better during the war," Kamyshin said.

"That's something we can contribute to the free world, because as you see, defense industry is becoming more and more important globally."

Ukraine has filed charges in absentia against the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church for "justifying" Russia's invasion of Ukraine, officials said on Saturday.

Patriarch Kirill — a noted supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin — previously described the invasion as a historic battle against the "forces of evil."

The Security Service of Ukraine said it and the prosecutor general's office had "collected evidence against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Gundyaev (known as Kirill)."

It said Kirill was "a member of the inner circle of Russia's top military and political leadership and ... one of the first to publicly support the full-scale war against Ukraine".

"Comprehensive measures are being taken to bring the offender to justice for crimes against our state," the intelligence agency added.

Ukraine and Russia are both predominately Orthodox countries, but Kyiv accelerated the drive to cut ties with all Russian-linked Orthodox institutions after the invasion in February 2022.

Officials from the United States and European Union have spoken to the Ukrainian government about potential conditions for peace negotiations with Russia, US broadcaster NBC reported.

The talks reportedly included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to concede in order to reach a deal with Russia.

The NBC report quoted one unidentified senior US official as well as one former US official.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied the reports when asked about them at a press conference on Saturday.

"Everyone knows my attitude, which coincides with the attitude of Ukrainian society ... Today no one is putting pressure (on me to negotiate), not one of the leaders of the EU or the United States," he said.

"For us now to sit down with Russia and talk and give it something — this will not happen." 

Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion has not reached a stalemate, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"Today people are tired, everyone is tired, and there are different opinions. That is clear, but there is no stalemate," he said.

Zelenskyy made the comments a joint press conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday.

He had been asked an opinion piece written by the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny.

Zaluzhny had claimed that the conflict was becoming more static and descending into attrition, which could give Moscow an opportunity to rebuild its military power.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Saturday.

She met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss Ukraine’s integration with the European Union, among other things.

Von der Leyen reiterated that the goal is for Ukraine to one day join the 27-member bloc.

"They are already well over 90% of the way there," said told members of the Ukrainian parliament.