Air defenses reportedly activated in northern Crimea

Russian-backed Armiansk city administration head Vasily Telizhenko reported Friday that an air defense system was activated near the city, according to TASS.

Earlier, Telizhenko said, city residents heard explosions in the distance. He noted that authorities “did not, are not, and don’t plan to” order an evacuation.

According to satellite images, Russia has begun restoring old trenches and digging new ones in northern Crimea, including near Armyansk, in recent months.

In an interview with The Financial Times published on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine "must return all lands [...] because I believe that the battlefield is the way when there is no diplomacy," but that "if someone is ready to offer us a way regarding the de-occupation of Crimea by non-military means, I will only be in favor."

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