Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky considered that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, chose war again by refusing to call for a direct meeting to discuss ways to reach an agreement to end the war. On the ground, Russian attacks with hundreds of drones on the night of Thursday and Friday left seven Ukrainians dead.
Published on: 05/06/2026 - 12:22 Last updated: 05/06/2026 - 21:38
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's refusal to invite him to hold a direct meeting to discuss ending the war that has been going on for four years.
In response to Putin's statement that he saw no "usefulness" in his meeting, Zelensky said, "Unfortunately, the Russian side is choosing war again. Everyone heard today's response. It is a weak response. Quite simply, it does not want to end the war."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he does not currently see any reason to hold a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, after Zelensky published an open letter proposing to hold direct talks to agree to end the war.
Putin added that Zelensky's message was rude in some parts and did not seem like a sincere offer to hold talks.
He went on to say, "This letter contains some somewhat rude references. Is this a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to hold a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second way."
Also on the diplomatic level, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Sunday to discuss pressure on Russia at a time when it is suffering military setbacks on the front in Ukraine, according to what the Elysee Palace announced on Friday.
On the ground, Russian attacks with hundreds of drones on the night of Thursday and Friday left seven Ukrainians dead.
In Romania, a Ukrainian naval drone exploded on Friday morning in the port of Constanta on the Black Sea, without recording any casualties, and Kiev said it had deviated from its course due to Russian electronic interference.
In an incident that occurred in the Sea of Azov, for which Russia held Ukraine responsible, Azerbaijan announced on Friday that five of its citizens were killed in drone attacks that targeted two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov, without accusing anyone.
The Ukrainian army said that Russia launched two missiles and 216 long-range drones overnight, and that it shot down 198 of them.
According to the authorities, a woman was killed in Zaporizhya (east), and a 75-year-old man was killed in Kherson (south) in drone attacks.
The Depropetrovsk region (east) was subjected to drone attacks and artillery shelling, which led to the death of a woman in the town of Pavlograd, according to local authorities.
"Originally Ukrainian"
A naval drone exploded on Friday morning in the Romanian port of Constanta. The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement that “the naval drone that was discovered this morning, June 5, in the civilian port of Constanta... self-exploded at approximately 10:30 a.m. without causing any casualties.”
“This is the second important security incident this week on the Romanian coast,” President Nicosur Dan said on the X platform, referring to a sea mine discovered on the beach.
He continued, "Such particularly dangerous situations are the direct results of the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine."
But the Russian embassy in Bucharest was quick to point the finger at Ukraine, and said in a statement, “These are Ukrainian naval drones,” stressing that attempts to link them to Russia “directly or indirectly... have no basis at all.”
Shortly after that, the Ukrainian Navy acknowledged that the naval drone belonged to it, and said that it had lost its way due to Russian interference.
It announced on Facebook that the drone “was subjected to interference from the enemy’s electronic warfare systems, lost control and ended up near the Romanian coast.”
This comes a week after a drone crashed into a building in Galati, near the border with Ukraine, resulting in minor injuries to a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte denounced Russia's "irresponsible" behavior that day, which represents a "danger to all of us."
As for the Russian President, he questioned his country's responsibility for the drone incident, stressing that Moscow does not "threaten European countries."
Prisoner exchange
In the Sea of Azov, which branches off from the Black Sea in the north between Russia and Ukraine, Azerbaijan announced on Friday the killing of five of its citizens in drone attacks that targeted two cargo ships.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “At night, drone attacks were launched on two foreign cargo ships... These attacks resulted in the death of five of our citizens and the injury of three others.”
According to Baku, there were 25 citizens on board the two ships, which are not affiliated with the Azerbaijani state, and the injured were transferred to a hospital in the Russian city of Yeysk.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin quickly accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack.
The Ukrainian army announced on the Telegram application night strikes targeting “five ships that were sailing illegally in the ports of Mariupol-Berdyansk” in Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.
Russian and Ukrainian attacks on civilian ports and ships have been increasing since last year.
In another context, Russia and Ukraine carried out a new exchange on Friday, which included 185 prisoners of war from each side, according to what the Russian Ministry of Defense announced.
The ministry announced in a statement, "The return of 185 Russian soldiers from the territories controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 185 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over," adding that the United Arab Emirates played the role of mediator.
France 24/AFP/Reuters
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