The war in Ukraine will last longer and an intensification of the war on the eastern flank of the Alliance is expected, said Sunday NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana, who attended a ceremony to celebrate NATO Day in Romania, at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Russia has said that peace talks with Ukraine have not progressed far enough to allow for a meeting of the two countries’ leaders, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky wrote on Telegram. He has added that talks will resume on Monday. On the ground, the missile attack this morning on a refinery in the Ukrainian city of Odessa (south) did not cause any casualties. The announcement was made by the Ukrainian military authorities. Odessa is an important Black Sea port and the main base of the Ukrainian naval forces. The British intelligence reports that Russian naval forces continue to blockade the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, preventing Kyiv authorities from resupplying at sea.
