Russia is continuing its war on civilians
For the 1,210th consecutive day, Kyiv awoke to sirens and the sound of drones crossing the sky from three directions, a ritual of destruction that has become the defining rhythm of this war. Eleven civilians were injured in the pre-dawn assault, while far to the north in Kursk, more than half of the North Korean soldiers sent by Kim Jong-un to fight for Russia have now become casualties — a quiet testament to the war's appetite. Across the continent in Brussels, European officials were drawing a different kind of line: not a ceasefire, but a permanent severance from Russian energy, a declaration that even peace would not restore the old dependencies. Zelenskyy traveled toward the G7 and toward Trump, carrying with him the weight of a nation that knows it cannot yet afford to stand alone.
- Russian drones struck Kyiv from three directions before dawn, tearing into apartment buildings and cutting power across the capital while air defenses fought to intercept them.
- Eleven civilians were wounded in the attack — six hospitalized — on what was simply day 1,210 of a war that has made such mornings ordinary.
- North Korean forces in Kursk have now suffered over 6,000 casualties from an 11,000-strong deployment, raising urgent questions about how and why these soldiers are being used.
- The EU is moving to permanently ban Russian gas imports by end of 2027, framing the break as force majeure so companies can exit contracts without legal penalty — a structural decoupling designed to outlast the conflict itself.
- Zelenskyy arrived at the G7 hoping to meet Trump and negotiate weapons purchases, but Trump had already departed early, leaving the question of American commitment unresolved and the path forward uncertain.
The sirens came before dawn on Tuesday, sending Kyiv's air defenses scrambling against drones approaching from three directions at once. Mayor Klitschko warned of missiles in the air as the attack unfolded. By the time it ended, eleven people had been injured and six hospitalized. A strike tore into the top floor of an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district; fires broke out in Darnytskyi; power failed in parts of the city. The head of the city's military administration called it "a very difficult night." It was day 1,210 of the war.
The cycle of attack and counterattack showed no sign of slowing. Ukraine struck the Belgorod region for three and a half hours the night before. Zelenskyy's chief of staff offered the plainest possible framing: Russia is continuing its war on civilians.
In Brussels, the European Union was thinking past the fighting. Energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said Europe should not resume buying Russian gas even if peace comes to Ukraine. The Commission is drafting a full ban on Russian gas and LNG imports by end of 2027, with the break classified as force majeure — meaning companies could exit existing contracts without legal consequence. The message was deliberate: this decoupling would be permanent.
The human cost of the war was sharpening into focus elsewhere. British defense intelligence reported that North Korean troops fighting for Russia in the Kursk region had suffered more than 6,000 casualties — over half of the roughly 11,000 soldiers Kim Jong-un had committed to the battlefield. The scale pointed either to the ferocity of the fighting, the manner in which these forces were deployed, or both.
Zelenskyy traveled to Vienna and then toward the G7 in Canada, where he hoped to meet Trump and discuss purchasing American weapons — on Ukraine's terms, not as aid. He also wanted to talk about frozen Russian assets and sanctions. But Trump had already left the summit early, and had signaled he was waiting to see whether Putin's interest in negotiations was genuine before committing to further pressure. He had also called for Russia's readmission to the G7 — a position that sat in stark contrast to the EU's hardening resolve.
The sirens woke Kyiv before dawn on Tuesday. Russian drones were coming from three directions at once, and the city's air defenses scrambled to meet them. Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted a warning as the attack unfolded: missiles were also in the air. By the time the all-clear sounded, eleven people had been injured. Six of them were hospitalized.
One strike tore into the top floor of an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district, near the city's center. Rescue teams fanned out across three other neighborhoods where drones had hit. In the Darnytskyi district on the eastern edge of the capital, a fire broke out. Power went down in some areas. Tymur Tkachenko, who heads the city's military administration, called it "a very difficult night." This was day 1,210 of the war.
In Moscow, the defense ministry reported that Ukrainian drones had attacked the Belgorod region across the border, striking for three and a half hours late Monday. The cycle of attack and counterattack continues without pause. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, framed the morning's assault plainly: "Russia is continuing its war on civilians."
Meanwhile, in Brussels, the European Union was making a calculation about what comes after the fighting stops. Dan Jorgensen, the EU's energy commissioner, said Europe should not buy Russian gas again even if peace arrives in Ukraine. The European Commission is drafting a ban on all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports, with a target date of the end of 2027. Jorgensen's statement was a signal that the decoupling would be permanent, not a temporary measure born of wartime necessity. Companies breaking their existing contracts with Russia would face no legal consequences, he explained, because the ban would be classified as force majeure—an act beyond their control. The legal team at the Commission had already cleared the path.
On another front, the human toll of the war was becoming clearer. North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region had sustained more than 6,000 casualties, according to Britain's defense ministry. That was more than half of the roughly 11,000 soldiers Kim Jong-un had sent to the battlefield. The scale of the loss suggested either the intensity of the fighting or the way these forces were being deployed—or both.
Zelenskyy was in Vienna and then headed to the G7 summit in Canada, where he hoped to meet with Donald Trump. The Ukrainian president wanted to discuss purchasing American weapons. He was clear about the terms: Ukraine was ready to buy, not to receive them for free. "I can't imagine and I don't want to imagine how to live without and fight without the help of the United States," Zelenskyy said. He also wanted to talk about frozen Russian assets and sanctions—ways to maintain pressure on Putin. But Trump had already left the G7 early, citing developments in the Middle East. He had also made clear he was waiting to see if a peace deal would actually materialize before committing to further sanctions. Two weeks earlier, he had said he would know in about two weeks whether Putin was genuinely interested in negotiations or simply stringing him along. He also wanted Russia readmitted to the G7, a position that stood in sharp contrast to the EU's hardening stance on Russian energy.
Citações Notáveis
Russia is continuing its war on civilians— Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Zelenskyy
I can't imagine and I don't want to imagine how to live without and fight without the help of the United States— President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does the EU's decision about gas matter right now, while the war is still happening?
Because it's saying something about what Europe thinks the future looks like. If you're banning Russian gas permanently, you're not planning to go back to the old relationship. You're building a different Europe.
And the North Korean casualties—6,000 out of 11,000—that's a staggering loss rate in a short time.
It is. It tells you either these troops are being used as expendable, or the fighting in Kursk is far more brutal than the headlines suggest. Probably both.
Zelenskyy wants to buy weapons from Trump, not receive them as aid. Why make that distinction?
Pride, partly. But also leverage. If you're buying, you're a customer, not a supplicant. It changes the conversation.
Trump left the G7 early and won't commit to more sanctions. Does that weaken Zelenskyy's position?
It complicates it. Zelenskyy needs America's weapons and America's diplomatic weight. But Trump is signaling he's not locked into Europe's approach. That's a real tension.
The drone attack on Kyiv—is this typical now, or was this particularly intense?
This is the rhythm of the war now. Waves of drones, air defenses working, civilians in shelters. It's become the texture of daily life in the capital.