Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified the military intervention in Ukraine, claiming it was a forced action and asserting that Russia is being unfairly portrayed as the aggressor, Rks News reports.
“They simply forced us to do what we are doing and are trying to make us look like the guilty party,” said Putin during a business forum, according to the Russian agency RIA Novosti. He also referred back to the events of 2014, describing the ousting of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych as a “coup” and denouncing what he called violence against the people of Donbas by the authorities in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump reacted strongly to recent developments, calling Putin “completely insane” over what has been described as the largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced he is considering new sanctions against Moscow, though he also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukrainian air forces reported that Russia launched 355 drones and nine cruise missiles overnight, marking the largest drone assault recorded to date. The attacks caused panic in several cities, while Ukraine’s air defense systems were active for several consecutive hours.
