Trump Aide Accuses India of Aiding Russia, Amidst Escalating Ukraine Conflict

A senior advisor to President Donald Trump has criticized India for allegedly supporting Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow. Stephen Miller, a deputy chief of staff at the White House, stated that it is unacceptable for India to continue financing the conflict through these oil purchases. He highlighted that India's oil purchases from Russia are comparable to those of China, a fact he described as astonishing. This criticism represents a strong stance by the Trump administration against one of the United States' key partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Sunday, Trump announced that special envoy Steve Witkoff might travel to Russia, warning that sanctions would be imposed if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine before Friday. He acknowledged the challenges of sanctioning Russia, noting their ability to evade such measures.

In other developments, a Ukrainian drone attack caused damage to a power line and sparked a fire at a railway station in Russia's Volgograd region. An unexploded drone was found near the Archeda train station, although the tracks were reportedly undamaged.

Additionally, a fire at a Russian oil depot in Sochi, also caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, was extinguished. Local authorities reported that over 120 firefighters were involved in putting out the blaze. The overnight attack on the Ilsky refinery near Krasnodar resulted in two oil tanks catching fire.

The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched a significant number of drones and missiles overnight, with a portion of them being intercepted. However, some drones and missiles struck targets across multiple locations. The Russian defense ministry also reported intercepting Ukrainian drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an agreement with Russia to exchange 1,200 prisoners following talks in Istanbul. He stated that the lists of individuals for the swap were still being finalized and that preparations for a new meeting were underway.

A Russian attack in the Zaporizhzhia region resulted in the deaths of three people. The regional governor reported that the strike occurred in the town of Stepnohirsk, causing the destruction of private homes.

Finally, the Russian and Chinese navies are conducting joint artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan. These exercises were scheduled prior to recent actions by Donald Trump, who stated he had ordered nuclear submarines to be positioned in response to remarks by a former Russian president.