The Pentagon has released video it says provides evidence that a Russian fighter jet sheared off the propeller of a U.S. surveillance drone this week and caused it to fall into the Black Sea, despite Russia’s denials. In the 40-second video, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet comes very close to the drone and drops near it what US officials say was jet fuel, apparently to damage the American plane. In eastern Ukraine, Kyiv troops continued to resist Russian attacks on the now-destroyed city of Bakhmut.

A brief summary of recent events:

• It is reported that Russia has discovered part of the wreckage of the downed drone. The United States believes that Russia has found the wreckage of a downed American surveillance drone in the Black Sea, a US official familiar with the situation told CNN.
• Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his message on Thursday evening: “The day will come when we will liberate Mariupol, our entire south, our entire east. All of Ukraine will be free.”
• China sends rifles and body armor to Russian organizations. Trade and customs data from June to December 2022 show that Chinese companies exported 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment, such as parts for drones and body armor, to Russian organizations, Politico reported.
• The US immediately sent a new drone on the way of the downed one – officials / Risks vs benefits. The United States is evaluating its drone operations in the Black Sea region, weighing the costs and benefits of the flights after Russia shot down one of the planes earlier this week, several officials told CNN.
• Vladimir Putin claims that there is a food crisis in the West: “Citizens are recommended to eat turnips instead of lettuce and tomatoes.” Western countries are facing food shortages and are forced to give up some products due to sanctions against Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
• Russia is demanding the restoration of critical communications lines with the US after the drone incident. It is important to maintain lines of communication between Washington and Moscow after the drone incident on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
• Russia has increased the presence of ships in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian military claims. Russia is increasing its presence in the Black Sea with a “quite unusual number of ships,” the Ukrainian military said Thursday, CNN reported.
• Negotiations on a possible conversation between the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the leader of China Xi Jinping are ongoing, but it is too early to say whether the conversation will take place, said an adviser to the President of Ukraine.
• UN report on war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine / Torture methods: “telephone to Putin” and “parrot pose”. Russia has committed mass war crimes in Ukraine, deliberate killings and torture, in some cases forcing children to witness the rape of their loved ones, in others forcing them to sit next to corpses.
• Poland’s decision to send aircraft to Ukraine “does not encourage” the US to send F-16s

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Thursday’s events were broadcast live on HotNews.ro