On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if foreign troops are present in Ukraine, especially during the ongoing invasion by Russia, warning troops would be targeted.

His comments came soon after European leaders announced their intention to send peacekeeping forces to help safeguard Ukraine. However, they emphasized that a ceasefire must be established first, bringing an end to the ongoing conflict.

Moscow has consistently condemned the prospect of Western troops going into Ukraine, even after the fighting ends, calling it “unacceptable.”

On Friday, Putin rejected the notion that peacekeeping troops would be necessary in Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace deal, stating that “no one should doubt” Moscow’s dedication to following a treaty designed to conclude its 3½-year large-scale invasion of its neighbor. For several months, he has firmly denied any intention to start his invasion in 2022, despite claims by the Biden administration that suggest the opposite.

He stressed on Friday that security guarantees would be crucial for both Russia and Ukraine if a ceasefire is established.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later stated that Moscow would need “legally binding documents” to outline such agreements. “Of course, one cannot simply take anyone’s word for anything,” he stressed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that there may be a possibility of sending thousands of Western troops to Ukraine as part of security agreements to help resolve the ongoing conflict. Speaking at a press conference in western Ukraine with European Council President Antonio Costa, Zelenskyy stated, “It won’t just be a few troops, but rather thousands. While this is an important point, it’s still a bit too early to get into the details.”

Zelenskyy’s comments followed those of French President Emmanuel Macron, who mentioned on Thursday that 26 countries supporting Ukraine have pledged to send troops as part of a “reassurance force” once fighting stops. Macron shared this information after a meeting in Paris with representatives from 35 nations that are backing Ukraine.

He stressed that these 26 nations have committed to either deploying troops or sustaining a military presence in different capacities—on land, at sea, or in the air—to help secure Ukraine’s safety following any ceasefire or peace deal that may be established. Addressing the participant at the international economic conference at the Ambrosetti Forum on Friday, Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of having security guarantees so that we can “start working right away, even during the conflict, and not just when it ends.”

He mentioned that he was unable to provide further details as they were “sensitive and connected to the military sphere.”

Russian military forces launched an attack on Ukraine overnight using a combination of drones and missiles. According to Ukraine’s air force, a total of 157 drones and seven missiles were deployed. Fortunately, Ukrainian air defense systems were able to intercept or disrupt 121 of these drones.

One of the strikes especially damaged several residential buildings in Dnipro, a city located in central Ukraine. Serhii Lysak, the head of the regional administration, shared updates on social media, noting that a certain facility caught fire during the attack. He posted images showing the aftermath, including damaged roofs, broken glass on the ground, and people trying to cover their shattered windows.

In a different event, Russian drones attacked infrastructure in the Chernihiv area, which is north of Kyiv. Because of this, at least 15 communities lost electricity, as stated by local officials. At the same time, Russian forces said they had taken down 92 Ukrainian drones during the night.

According to a report, Local social media channels in the city of Ryazan, approximately 125 miles southeast of Moscow, stated that the city’s state-owned oil refinery had been targeted. They shared videos showing flames lighting up in the night sky.

Local Gov. Pavel Malkov said that some drone debris fell in an industrial zone. However, he did not give more information and cautioned residents against posting pictures of air defense systems on social media.