Russia s President Vladimir Putin and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attend an official welcoming ceremony prior to their talks at Kuksaroy residence in northeastern Tashkent on May 27, 2024. AFP
Putin laid a wreath at a momument to Uzbekistan's independence in Tashkent and held what the Kremlin said were informal talks with Mirziyoyev. The formal meeting of the presidents is to take place Monday.
The visit is Putin's third foreign trip since being inaugurated for a fifth term in May. He first went to China, where he expressed appreciation for China's proposals for talks to end the Ukraine conflict, and later to Belarus where Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, one person was killed and three others were injured Monday in a Ukrainian drone attack on a gas station in Russia's Oryol region near the Ukrainian border, government officials said.
"A drone fell this morning on the territory of a gas station in the town of Livny", damaging the facade of an administrative building, said Andrei Klychkov, governor of Oryol, on Telegram.
Another drone attack was then launched after the arrival of emergency services on the scene, he said.
"According to initial information, the driver of a fire engine was unfortunately killed," Klychkov said, adding that three other emergency service employees were injured.
The Russian defence ministry said Monday it had neutralised a dozen Ukrainian drones overnight, including six over the Oryol region, which lies around 170 kilometres (106 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
Ukraine has upped its attacks on Russian border regions in recent months, particularly on energy sites.
Kyiv has said it wants to bring the fighting to Russian soil in retaliation for the numerous bombings on its own territory.
Fortifications on border
Defense officials in NATO member Poland were Monday presenting plans Monday for fortifications and strengthening of its eastern border with Russia and Moscow ally Belarus.
The government says that Poland is being targeted by hostile actions from Russia and Belarus. They include cyberattacks, attempted arson and migrants being pushed illegally across the border, which officials describe as intended to destabilize the European Union, of which Poland is a member.
The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has planned a range of security measures including in cyberspace, as well as some $2.5 billion investment into eastern border security, known as Shield-East. Ha said last week that work on the shield has begun.
Poland’s previous right-wing government built a $400 million wall on the border with Belarus to halt a massive inflow of migrants that began to be pushed from that direction in 2021. The current pro-EU government says it needs to be strengthened.
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