Ukraine war live ticker: +++ 01:43 Drones hit power grid in occupied Ukraine +++

The Russian occupation of southern Ukraine is reporting renewed Ukrainian drone attacks, resulting in power outages for tens of thousands of people in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. In the Kherson region, the central electrical substation was deliberately hit, according to Moscow-appointed head of the administration, Vladimir Saldo. He spoke of 67,000 households without power, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. According to Russian sources, cities such as Melitopol and Primorsk were without power in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, as was Enerhodar, which is located directly next to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. However, a spokeswoman for the plant said the necessary power supply to the shut-down nuclear power plant was not affected, according to Tass.

+++ 00:50 Russia: Shoigu discusses Ukraine conflict with North Korean leader Kim +++ The Secretary of the Russian National Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, discussed the Ukraine conflict with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang. Both sides exchanged "views on the situation surrounding the Ukraine crisis and the Korean peninsula," the Russian embassy stated. The talks took place in an "atmosphere of friendly mutual understanding." Last year, Russia and North Korea signed an agreement on a "comprehensive strategic partnership," which also includes a mutual defense clause. Pyongyang recently confirmed the deployment of troops and the supply of weapons to Russia in support of Moscow's offensive against Ukraine.

+++ 11:46 PM US officials doubt Kyiv's number of destroyed Russian aircraft +++ According to US estimates, significantly fewer Russian aircraft were destroyed in the Ukrainian drone attack over the weekend than Kyiv has stated. Two US officials, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Reuters news agency this. According to the report, the US estimates that up to 20 Russian fighter jets were hit, and about ten of them were destroyed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv that 41 Russian aircraft were hit, and half of them were too badly damaged to be repaired.

+++ 10:46 PM Putin and Pope Leo speak by phone for the first time +++ Pope Leo XIV called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call to take a step toward peace with Ukraine. He also emphasized the importance of dialogue in finding solutions to the conflict, the Vatican announced. The Kremlin reported that Putin thanked the Pope for his willingness to help resolve the conflict. Putin also told Leo that Kyiv intended to escalate the conflict.

+++ 10:02 PM NATO chief sees "no reason" to doubt US commitment to Ukraine +++ NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has reaffirmed the US commitment to the alliance and Ukraine. "The US is fully committed to NATO and our joint endeavors," Rutte said in Brussels on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers of the Ukraine Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters. "As far as Ukraine is concerned, there is no reason to doubt that." The meeting, in the so-called Ramstein format and led by Germany and Great Britain, will also address how to compensate for the declining US commitment to Ukraine.

+++ 9:43 PM Estonia votes to withdraw from landmine treaty +++ In light of the threat posed by Russia, the Estonian parliament voted to withdraw from the landmine treaty. This "significantly expands the options for protecting Estonia's security," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. "Taking into account the lessons of Russian aggression, it is clear that Estonia cannot unilaterally limit its armament options," the minister said. The parliaments of Latvia and Lithuania had previously voted to withdraw from the treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Human rights groups criticized the abandonment of the treaty.

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