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Senate Republican leaders say they’ve spoken to Mitch McConnell as he remains hospitalized

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has had phone conversations with several Republican leaders as he remains hospitalized, spokespeople for the lawmakers told ABC News on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for McConnell first confirmed the senator had been hospitalized on June 14 for an unknown condition. His office has not provided many updates, though they said McConnell is continuing his recovery in the hospital.

“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a McConnell spokesperson said in a statement first issued last week that ABC News was told continues to stand Tuesday. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso have both spoken to McConnell recently, according to their respective spokespeople.

Thune had a phone conversation with McConnell on Monday, his spokesperson confirmed.

“They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” a Thune spokesperson said.

Barrasso spokesperson Kate Noyes said the two discussed a number of topics, including recent sexual assault allegations against Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner (allegations Platner has denied) and national defense spending, during a 20-minute phone conversation on Tuesday afternoon.

“They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits. They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence,” Noyes said. “Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”

A McConnell spokesperson also pointed ABC News to a statement from conservative political commentator Scott Jennings, who posted online that he had a nearly 20-minute conversation with McConnell on Tuesday morning on several matters.

“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible,” Jennings posted on X.

These conversations come almost three weeks after McConnell was first admitted to the hospital, according to his spokesperson.

McConnell’s team has not provided any information about his diagnosis, or a timeline for his return.

ABC News has reported that emergency medical personnel were dispatched to McConnell’s Washington home to attend to an unconscious person who appeared to be in cardiac arrest on June 14, the same day that McConnell was hospitalized.

ABC News independently reviewed the audio, which does not directly name McConnell. A spokesperson for McConnell declined to comment on the audio.

The day after McConnell was hospitalized, Thune and Barrasso told reporters at the Capitol that they had spoken with the former party leader. On June 22, a McConnell spokesperson said in a separate statement that he was “working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery” but that he would not be attending votes that week.

McConnell was last seen on Capitol Hill on June 11. The Senate recessed on June 24, and lawmakers won’t return to Washington until July 13.

This is the latest in a string of medical incidents that the seven-term senator and longtime Republican leader has faced in recent years. McConnell, 84, stepped down from leadership in 2024 and is set to retire at the end of his term in January.

How Democrats could replace Graham Platner in Maine Senate race and who might take his place

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(MAINE) — Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has said he is considering his options in the wake of a sexual assault allegation that he denies. But Democrats in Maine and nationally are calling on him to withdraw from the race against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

How his replacement could be chosen if he does withdraw and who might run in his place has become a firestorm among Democrats.

How could Maine Democrats select another candidate?

The Maine Democratic Party has called on Platner to leave the race. If he does by July 13 at 5 p.m. ET, the party has until July 27 to nominate a replacement. The state of Maine itself would not hold new primaries.

But the party has a lot of flexibility as to how it chooses any replacement. One source familiar with Maine politics told ABC News that the party’s state committee would vote on who would become the replacement candidate.

The state Democratic party has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

Another source who is working in Maine politics told ABC News that it’s possible the party could convene delegates to vote for a new candidate — similar to how the party used to nominate candidates at state party conventions. The source added that it is unclear if the event would be in-person or virtual, or how the delegate vote would be taken, such as by a majority vote or ranked-choice voting.

The prospect of the party selecting a candidate also raises the possibility of a backlash if Maine voters feel either that the candidate does not represent the ideals they voted for or that party insiders are choosing for them.

“My hope is that the process is transparent and fair,” Ryan Fecteau, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, told ABC News on Tuesday.

Who might try to replace Platner?

There were two other candidates on the Senate primary ballot with Platner in the June 9 primary, although Maine Democrats are largely not promoting them as alternatives to Platner.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign before the primary, is largely not being floated as a viable replacement candidate. ABC News has reached out to Mills’ office.

Former Maryland state official David Costello placed third in the primary. In a brief post on Facebook on Tuesday, Costello confirmed that he’d try for the seat if he can: “I’m back in, if Graham Platner withdraws.”

Other major Maine Democrats who ran for other offices are indicating they might consider trying for the Senate seat.

Troy Jackson, a logger and former candidate in Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary and a progressive, has been floated as a candidate who could appeal to Platner’s voters. He is a former state senator and was the Senate president from 2018 to 2024.

A source confirmed that Jackson has been receiving immense outreach about the possibility of replacing Platner and that he is interested. The source added that it makes sense for him to carry the “progressive torch,” and that Jackson is coming from a primary where he had an infrastructure in place and would be ready to jump in.

A campaign committee called the Troy Jackson Senate Exploratory Committee filed a statement of organization with the Federal Elections Commission on Tuesday. The Bangor Daily News was first to report about the filing.

Shenna Bellows is Maine’s first female Secretary of State and was also a candidate in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. A source close to Bellows told ABC News that she has gotten calls about possibly running for the Senate seat.

Nirav Shah, who confirmed he’s considering a bid, was in the running to be Maine’s governor and led in the polls prior to the Democratic runoff. Shah confirmed on his X account that he would consider a Senate bid and that he’s been receiving immense outreach to run if Platner withdraws. He told ABC News by phone on Tuesday that he has not declared his candidacy but has an infrastructure in place to run a campaign if he does enter the race.

Shah is an attorney and healthcare executive and oversaw the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another potential candidate, Dan Kleban, founder of the Maine Beer Company, was an early candidate in the Democratic Senate primary but ultimately suspended his campaign and endorsed Mills.

A source close to Kleban told ABC News on Tuesday that he has been getting calls and is being encouraged to run, and added Kleban also never endorsed Platner and kept his distance from him, meaning he would not appear tied to Platner.

In a similar boat: Jordan Wood, who was a losing candidate in the Democratic primary for Maine’s 2nd District after originally beginning a run for Senate. Wood wrote on X on Tuesday that he was open to a bid for Senate if Platner withdrew.

A potential wildcard candidate who has not confirmed if he would consider a bid is Rep. Jared Golden, a veteran who has represented Maine’s 2nd District since 2019. In November, Golden announced that he would not seek re-election, citing concerns over the safety of his family. ABC News has reached out to Golden’s office.

State Rep. Valli Geiger, a strong ally of Platner, told ABC News she is in conversations about being considered as a replacement, but hopes that the state party will hold an “open” and “robust” process.

Geiger, who hopes the candidate would embody a progressive agenda, added that she thinks it’s “hard to see a way forward” if Platner stays in the race and thinks he’s “struggling to figure out if there’s a path”

“I’m just so sad about how things have turned out, and there are no winners here. We have lost an incredible voice that I think had a real chance to beat Susan Collins, and one cannot outrun one’s past,” Geiger said.

Nurses, home care clinicians plan large-scale strike in Boston

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(BOSTON) — More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and 450 Mass General Brigham home care clinicians are scheduling a strike Wednesday morning, according to the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The strike would be the largest nurse and healthcare professional strike in Massachusetts history, according to a Massachusetts Nurses Association press release.

“At both bargaining tables, the nurses and clinicians made significant efforts to compromise and offered to continue negotiating to avoid a strike,” the association wrote in a statement. “MGB refused to improve its proposals and declined opportunities to continue bargaining.”

The nurses’ strike, expected to begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday, is scheduled to last one day and be followed by a four-day lockout imposed by Mass General Brigham, the association said. Mass General Brigham home care clinicians plan to strike for seven days beginning at 8 a.m. on the same day, according to the union.

The union said it is seeking more competitive wage increases that keep pace with the rising cost of living, among other demands. It cited data from the MassINC Policy Center, which said the income needed to maintain a middle-class standard of living for a family of four in Massachusetts jumped 50% from 2020 to 2024.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital said in a statement that Brigham nurses are “among the highest compensated in the market.”

The hospital said it plans to continue providing high-quality patient care throughout the work stoppage.

Scott Sperling, Mass General Brigham board chair and co-CEO of a private equity firm, wrote to the association in an email on Sunday night, stating that s “substantial effort” has been made to find common ground, according to the association’s press release.

On Tuesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey released a joint statement encouraging both sides to resume negotiations.

“A strike and lockout of this scale would cause serious disruption across the Greater Boston region, and the possibility that patient care could be impacted through diversions, delays, or other emergency measures is deeply concerning to the communities we represent,” the statement said.

Trump says he’ll consider giving Turkey F-35 jets, adds that US will lift sanctions

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump, during the first day of the NATO Summit in Ankara on Tuesday, said he will consider allowing Turkey to buy American F-35 fighter jets — despite possessing Russian-made air defense systems, which his first administration sanctioned the country for six years ago.

“It’s a decision we’re going to make,” Trump said as he met Turkish President Recep Erdogan at Erdogan’s presidential compound.

“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey’s been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal,” Trump said. “So, it’s something, certainly, we would consider. It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and it’s certainly something we will consider.”

Turkey seeks to join a U.S. F-35 program but is prohibited from doing so under U.S. law as long as it possesses Russian-made air defenses.

In a 2020 release, Trump’s former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said those systems “would endanger the security of U.S. military technology and personnel and provide substantial funds to Russia’s defense sector, as well as Russian access to the Turkish armed forces and defense industry.”

Vice President JD Vance, during an Oval Office meeting with Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last week, said Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department were reviewing the Turkish purchase of American F-35 fighters, and Trump during that meeting teased a “gift” for Turkey, suggesting the sale.

Trump later said the U.S. had an “obligation” to maintain the engines of planes Turkey has bought because Turkey, he said, has been “more helpful” on Iran than other NATO countries.

Trump again lashed out at other NATO allies for their reluctance to join U.S. military operations in reopening and patrolling of the critical Strait of Hormuz.

“I was very disappointed with NATO,” Trump said. “And frankly, if it weren’t held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it’s possible that I wouldn’t have attended.”

Trump again questioned the alliance as he singled out nations he said declined to assist the U.S. on Iran, saying he was “testing people.”

“Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down and France turned us down. And it’s OK, but why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they’re not there for us? We’ve always been there for them,” the president said.

“They’ve been extraordinary in many ways with respect to our relationship, including trying to end the war with Iran, or whatever you call it, it’s not even a war, it’s a military operation, it’s a denuclearization, that’s really what it is, of Iran, because I don’t think he wants to see them have a nuclear weapon either. I’m pretty sure that. In fact, I’m totally sure of that,” Trump said.

Trump suggested that he didn’t have a problem with the fact that Turkey was also using Russian air defense systems, telling reporters: “I have no concerns at all about anything.”

Trump told reporters that his administration is working to lift sanctions on Turkey, saying “it’s time.” Trump’s first administration sanctioned Turkey in 2020 for acquiring the Russian defense systems.

“I can tell you we’re going to take the sanctions off,” Trump said, answering a Turkish question that appeared to be directed at Erdogan. “I don’t want him to waste his time answering that question.”

Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Hegseth were working on it.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off. It’s time to do that, OK?” he said.

Midtown Manhattan blocks evacuated after beams found buckling at construction site: Police

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Several Midtown Manhattan blocks were evacuated Tuesday morning after construction workers discovered the structure of an office building being converted into residential housing was compromised on the 21^st floor, officials said.

New York City Fire Department and Department of Buildings crews went to 235 East 42nd Street, which is one block west of the United Nations headquarters, around 8:11 a.m. after workers “observed structural support beams beginning to buckle,” the NYPD said.

That caused the 21st through 26th floors of the building to start caving under the stress, officials said.

The FDNY said that they initially received calls of bricks falling from the building.

The 37-story commercial building is currently undergoing renovations to convert it into a residential building, according to the DOB. It is one of the largest office-to-apartment conversion projects in city history, officials said.

There were no reported injuries and all construction workers were safely evacuated, according to police.

Other buildings near 235 East 42nd Street were also evacuated, including a nearby Hampton Inn, according to officials.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday morning that among the evacuated locations was a school with 400 students.

As of 11:15, the FDNY said nine buildings were evacuated.

“Our top priority right now is the safety of those who live in this area and those who work in this area. And DOB inspectors and engineers are on site working quickly to secure the site as well as that surrounding area,” he said.

Several nearby streets were closed off as a precaution while building inspectors and FDNY personnel inspected the building.

Administration sharing info about asylum seekers with Iranian government, lawsuit claims

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging the Trump administration has been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government.

According to the complaint filed in Washington, D.C., many Iranian asylum seekers are pro-democracy protesters, members of religious minorities, or members of the LGBTQ community who seek refuge in the U.S. “because of the grave dangers they face in Iran.”

“Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian Government violates the asylum seekers’ confidentiality rights, puts those who are subject to removal to Iran, directly or through chain refoulement via third countries, at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran, and endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran,” the group said in the complaint.

More than 100 people have been deported to Iran during the Trump administration, according to the IALDF.

The group wrote in the complaint that while the U.S. government may coordinate logistics with receiving countries, federal regulations prohibit the sharing of information that would “reveal or infer that the individual to be removed had applied for asylum.”

“Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian government violates federal regulations requiring confidentiality, endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran, and puts those who are subject to removal to Iran at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran,” said Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group that is representing the IALDF.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and a representative of the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

The complaint alleges that the Trump administration has continued to share confidential information during the current war between the U.S. and Iran. The group claims the two governments held monthly meetings to share the immigration files of Iranians in ICE custody, including final orders of removal and applications for asylum.

While the monthly in-person meetings reportedly stopped before the war began on Feb. 28, the group alleges that ICE has “continued to mail or hand deliver document packages to the Iranian Interest Section.”

The complaint also alleges that Iranian officials have met with dozens of detainees at ICE facilities.

“Many of the Iranian detainees did not consent to meet with the Iranian Interest Section officials but were required to do so by ICE,” the filing says.

“According to Iranian detainees who met with an Iranian Interest Section official, the official had knowledge of their immigration cases, including the details of their asylum applications,” the suit said. “These nonconsensual meetings with the Interest Section official solidified the detainees’ belief that they had been identified to the very same repressive government that they had fled.”

The IALDF is asking a federal judge in Washington to block the government from providing confidential information to the Iranian government and to appoint a special master to review the files of Iranian detainees that have already been shared.

SpaceX joins the Nasdaq 100, clearing way for potential investment influx. Here’s what to know

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Elon Musk-led rocket and AI company SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 on Tuesday, clearing the way for a potential influx of investment as funds pegged to the major index were expected to add the firm.

SpaceX will all but certainly become a part of many individuals’ 401(k) accounts soon. Those accounts often hold index funds, which track indexes like the Nasdaq 100.

Until recently, newly listed companies were barred from major indexes until after an extended waiting period. But the Nasdaq issued a rule change in May permitting “fast entry” to the Nasdaq-100 for some major IPOs. Over the ensuing weeks, some other top exchanges also tweaked their rules.

Entry into the index marked the latest development for SpaceX after a roller coaster in the company’s shares following an initial public offering (IPO) last month. The stock price soared roughly 50% in the initial three days after the public listing on June 12, before shedding just about all of those gains within days.

SpaceX shares dropped nearly 6% in early trading on Tuesday, putting the price at about $151. The SpaceX IPO, the largest ever, opened trading last month at $150 per share.

The IPO made Musk the first trillionaire, vaulting the world’s richest person further ahead of other financial titans. After SpaceX shares tumbled on Tuesday, Musk’s net worth fell to $973 billion, according to Forbes. The second-wealthiest person alive, Google founder Larry Page, holds a net worth of $303 billion, Forbes said.

The IPO pulls in fresh funds for the Texas-based firm, which oversees Musk’s ambitions in the fast-growing but cost-intensive AI industry. The company aims to raise as much as $75 billion from its public listing.

SpaceX builds and operates spacecraft, including thousands of satellites deployed in support of its Starlink satellite internet service. In February, the company merged with xAI, a Musk-led AI company that offers a chatbot in competition with the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.

The company’s revenue jumped to $18.7 billion in 2025, soaring 33% compared to the previous year, a financial filing showed. Nearly a quarter of that revenue came from Starlink, which counted millions of subscribers. Still, SpaceX failed to turn a profit, registering a loss of $4.9 billion last year.

Body found believed to be missing Mississippi 18-year-old: ‘Absolutely devastated’

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A Mississippi community is mourning the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was believed to be recovered after going missing over the weekend.

Wells vanished after going on a boat trip with friends on the 4th of July, officials said. He was last seen on Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.

“[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”

Wells’ mother reported him missing and took to social media, pleading for help.

The sheriff’s department said it launched a search on Horn Island with officials from the Coast Guard, Department of Marine Resources and Gulf Islands National Seashore.

A body was later recovered. On Monday, Ledbetter told ABC News the coroner is still waiting on a DNA test, but said the body matches the description and is likely Wells.

Authorities said they suspect Wells drowned, but are still investigating.

The sheriff said investigators do not suspect foul play.

“There’s no information that we have right now that would lead us to believe that a crime has occurred,” he said.

Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Monday that she was “absolutely devastated.”

“My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others,” she said. “Nolan was a special soul.”

The Ocean Springs School District said in a statement that it’s “shocked and heartbroken.”

Wells graduated last year from Ocean Springs High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete, and he went on to play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College, the district said.

“We are devastated by Nolan’s passing. He was the kind of son, teammate, friend, and student that every coach hopes to have in a program,” the high school’s football coach Jake Bramlett said in a statement. “Nolan was so much more than an outstanding football player. He carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, and led by example. His character spoke louder than his accomplishments, and he was loved deeply by his teammates and coaches.”

Principal Jacob Dykes added, “He will be remembered as an extremely kind and hardworking young man who left a lasting impression on his teachers, coaches, teammates, and community. Our thoughts are with his family and the many people he made a lasting impact on.”

ABC News’ Mark Guarino and Joy Piazza-Ruppert contributed to this report.

2-year-old girl dies after being left in hot car while in care of babysitter, Florida police say

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

A 2-year-old girl has died after being left in a hot minivan while in the care of a babysitter, police in Florida said.

Officers found the little girl when they responded to a home around 1:35 p.m. Sunday in Hallandale Beach, about 20 miles north of Miami, Hallandale Beach police said.

The heat index – what the temperature it feels like with humidity – soared to 101 degrees on Sunday in Hallandale Beach.

The 2-year-old was taken to a hospital and later declared dead, authorities said.

It’s not clear how long she was in the car. Police said prosecutors are reviewing the case and “no charging decision has been made at this time.”

“This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts are with the child’s family, and everyone affected by this tragedy,” the Hallandale Beach Police Department said in a statement. “We also want to use this moment to remind every parent, guardian, and caregiver in our community: Always check the back seat before locking your vehicle and walking away.”

This is at least the 10th child to die in a hot car in the U.S. this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org. Last year, at least 37 children died in hot cars across the country, KidsAndCars.org said.

Click here for what to know to keep your children safe from hot car dangers.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones target Moscow, mayor says, as Zelenskyy vows more strikes

July 7, 2026 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Ukraine launched more than 400 drones into Russia overnight in its latest wave of long-range strikes, according to authorities in Moscow, and as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to expand such attacks as a means to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 452 Ukrainian drones overnight. The craft, the ministry said on Telegram, were intercepted over 16 Russian regions — including Moscow — plus over Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as over both the Azov and Black seas.

At least 43 drones were downed while flying toward Moscow, the city’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in a series of posts to Telegram.

Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya, said in posts to Telegram that temporary flight restrictions were introduced at airports in Sochi, Krasnodar, Kaluga, Saratov, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl and Cheboksary.

All four of Moscow’s international airports — Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky — were also put under flight restrictions during the overnight attacks.

Zelenskyy said in posts to social media that Kyiv’s long-range strike campaign into Russia — the scale and intensity of which has been steadily increasing during the course of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor — would evolve further.

“When our deep strikes were not reaching Moscow and St. Petersburg, Putin did not think much about it. He understood that the war was far from the Kremlin. Of course, once he feels what is happening in Moscow, he will begin to understand what is happening in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. He’ll begin to grasp the reality of the situation,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian border regions which regularly come under Ukrainian attack.

“When not one hundred drones but a thousand start reaching Moscow, and when he feels it and sees it, he will be advised to move somewhere beyond the Urals. That will be a moment that opens a new chapter on the path toward ending the war. The farther Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war and peace will be,” Zelenskyy added.

The Ukrainian leader also suggested that Kyiv’s expanding drone attacks would unsettle Russian elites, further undermining Putin’s Kremlin.

“He fears for his life,” Zelenskyy said of the Russian leader. “And then there are the elites. Where do the Russian elites live? Moscow and St. Petersburg — the two major cities. Those places will be reached, because that is where they make the decisions to kill us.”

“That is why deep strikes have had, and continue to have, a major impact. We must keep working on this,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Russia continued its own long-range strike campaign into Ukraine on Monday night into Tuesday. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 123 drones into the country in its latest wave, of which 108 drones were shot down or suppressed. Twelve drones impacted across 10 locations, the air force said.

Those attacks followed a series of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine on Sunday night and early on Monday morning, in which at least 22 people were killed in the capital Kyiv and in the surrounding region, according to Ukrainian officials.

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