Ukraine has moved to quash speculation behind First Lady Olena Zelenska's decline of an invitation to attend U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Thursday.
There has been speculation that Zelenska had declined the invitation on learning that Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, could also be at the prestigious event, and because Ukraine was wary of being seen to be too close to Biden ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
In other news, a missile alert is in operation in the Russian border region of Kursk on Wednesday after a fuel and lubricants warehouse at a major iron ore plant in Kursk was targeted in an alleged Ukrainian drone attack.
Kursk governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram that two drones had struck fuel facilities at the Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore plant, one of Russia's largest iron ore plants and owned by Metalloinvest, Russia's largest iron ore producer. Metalloinvest confirmed the incident and said the plant was still working.
Russian authorities in the border region of Belgorod and nearby Voronezh also reported attempted attacks by Ukrainian drones. Russia's defense ministry said its air defense systems had shot down drones over Belgorod and Kursk. Kyiv has not commented on the incidents.