Day 645 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Bulgaria’s Decision to Not Let Through Lavrov’s Plane is Absurd says the Kremlin

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Day 645 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Ten people were injured last night in Russian missile strikes in the Donetsk region, Ukraine said
• Support for Ukraine has mobilized the US military-industrial complex on a scale not seen in decades
• David Cameron: NATO can outlast Russia in Ukraine
• Kremlin: Sofia's decision not to through the plane with Zakharova is absurd
• Putin expressed his condolences on the death of Kissinger

Ten people were injured last night in Russian missile strikes in the Donetsk region, Ukraine said

Ten people were injured last night in Russian missile strikes in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said today, quoted by Reuters.

Russia fired six rockets at three settlements in the region, Klimenko explained on Telegram.

"Pokrovsk, Novogrodivka and Mirnograd were subjected to shelling. Ten people were injured during the shelling, including four children. We are looking for five people buried under rubble," the Ukrainian minister also said.

Klimenko noted that among the dead was a family with two children, as well as two 13-year-old children. An apartment building, nine houses, a police station, cars and garages were damaged.

Most of the Donetsk region is occupied by Russia, Reuters notes.

Earlier today, Ukraine's armed forces said their air defense systems shot down 14 of a total of 20 drones in a midnight Russian attack.

Support for Ukraine has mobilized the US military-industrial complex on a scale not seen in decades

Support for Ukraine has mobilized the United States' military-industrial complex on a scale not seen in decades.

According to Ukrinform, this was stated in a publication published on the website of the US Department of Defense.

It is noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the United States "remains committed to providing the armed forces of Ukraine with the weapons and military assistance necessary to fight against the Russian invaders and ensure the sovereignty of the country."

David Cameron: NATO can outlast Russia in Ukraine

NATO can "outlast" Russia in Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told allies in Brussels, pointing out that the bloc's combined economic power is 30 times that of Moscow.

In a statement at the first NATO meeting since becoming foreign secretary, Lord Cameron called on member states to "harness their collective advantage" to supply Kyiv with enough weapons to defeat Vladimir Putin's forces.

The meeting in Brussels comes amid concerns in Ukraine about declining Western support as the conflict in Gaza continues. David Cameron has indicated that there is still work to be done to secure the full support of all 31 NATO member states.

"Two weeks ago I was in Ukraine and I said that we must do everything we can to help the Ukrainians repel this appalling aggression by Putin. I will build a consensus for this view here in NATO," declared the British Foreign Secretary.

He said allies should seek to sign more multi-year multinational deals to persuade arms manufacturers to increase production to meet Ukraine's demands for at least the next two years.

Kremlin: Sofia's decision not to let through the plane with Zakharova is absurd

The decision of the Bulgarian authorities not to allow a plane with the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on board to fly to North Macedonia "does not fit into any framework" and is an "absurd and stupid position". This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by TASS.

"Of course, such a position of the Bulgarian authorities can hardly be explained in any way - this is the first thing. Second, it certainly does not fit into any framework. Third, it is absolutely absurd and, one might even say, stupid. I would like to appeal to the Bulgarian leadership and urge them to try to do everything possible to maintain sobriety in their decisions," said the Kremlin spokesman.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Skopje to participate in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The plane flew through the territory of Greece, although earlier the route was expected to pass through Bulgaria. TASS learned that the Bulgarian side refused to allow the passage of the plane of the Russian minister if Zakharova was on board.

Putin expressed his condolences on the death of Kissinger

Russian President Vladimir Putin today expressed his condolences in connection with the death of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Reuters reported.

In a cable addressed to Kissinger's wife Nancy, Putin called Kissinger a "wise and far-sighted statesman."

"Henry Kissinger's name is inextricably linked with the pragmatic foreign policy line that at one time made it possible to reduce international tensions and to achieve Soviet-American agreements of the greatest importance, which contributed to the strengthening of global security," it says in the telegram of the Russian president.

"Many times I had the opportunity to personally communicate with this profound and extraordinary person, and I undoubtedly have the brightest memories of him," Putin said.

Kissinger, who has died aged 100, was a proponent of dialogue between the US and the Soviet Union in the 1970s, which led to the two Cold War superpowers concluding the first major nuclear arms control agreements, Reuters notes.

"Henry Kissinger has died. He served his country faithfully for many years. At the same time, he was a pragmatist who took into account the realities and did not blindly follow the canons of American foreign policy. Now there is no trace of such people in the American government and in the Western world. Rest in peace," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote in X.

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