Lead:
Two major diplomatic and military developments dominated Thursday's global political landscape. Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv, killing at least 13 people and prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to vow retaliation, while Ukraine's foreign minister urgently called on allies for additional air defense systems. Simultaneously, indirect US-Iran negotiations in Doha concluded a round of talks on implementing their memorandum of understanding, with officials reporting measurable progress.
Details:
On the Russia-Ukraine front, Al Yaum reported that Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least eight people in initial counts, with later figures rising to 13 according to Ukrainian authorities. President Zelensky declared that Ukraine would "certainly" respond to what he described as a bloody and wide-scale bombardment. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha formally called on allied governments to accelerate the delivery of additional air defense systems to protect civilian infrastructure from further strikes.
Moscow, for its part, showed no sign of restraint. Al Yaum reported that Russian officials confirmed Thursday that they intend to continue increasing pressure on Ukraine, characterizing their military campaign as ongoing and in accordance with stated strategic objectives. The statement, framed around the phrase "we are pressing forward with our goals," signals that Russia views the latest strikes as part of a broader, sustained escalation rather than an isolated operation.
On the diplomatic front, Al Jazirah and Al Yaum both reported that a new round of indirect US-Iran negotiations took place Thursday in Doha, focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed on May 17 between Washington and Tehran. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari confirmed that the talks achieved positive progress. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharib Abadi separately announced the conclusion of the Doha session, indicating that both sides had exchanged detailed positions. President Donald Trump stated publicly that the United States had made significant headway toward a deal with Iran, while an Iranian official confirmed that denuclearization efforts remained central to the agenda.
Al Jazirah further noted that a subsequent round of talks is expected to be scheduled, though no firm date has been announced.
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