Nighttime Attacks and Peace Talks
KYIV, Ukraine – In a striking nighttime assault, Russia launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones targeting various Ukrainian cities, according to officials on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed that Russia seems “hesitant” to engage in renewed talks aimed at halting the ongoing conflict.
President Zelenskyy shared late Wednesday that the United States is proposing new negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives next week, potentially in Miami or the UAE, where earlier discussions were held.
He noted that Ukraine has “immediately confirmed” its participation. “It appears that Russia has yet to make a clear commitment,” Zelenskyy mentioned during an interview via a messaging app.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that another round of talks would be happening “soon,” but didn’t provide specifics.
U.S. officials remained tight-lipped regarding any potential further discussions related to the yearlong peace initiative led by the Trump administration. Recently, Zelensky mentioned a June deadline given by the U.S. for Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement.
As the four-year mark of Russia’s invasion approaches, unresolved disputes between Moscow and Kyiv — such as territorial claims in the Donbas region and Russia’s demand for additional land — are hindering a comprehensive resolution. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine seeks Western-supported security guarantees and a post-war reconstruction plan, along with a timeline for EU membership, before considering the proposed 20-point agreement.
On the ground, Russia continues its assault on civilian areas across Ukraine, targeting not just residential zones but also the power infrastructure. Notably, Zelensky mentioned that Russia has not responded to U.S. suggestions for an “energy ceasefire,” which would aim to halt both Russian attacks and Ukrainian drone operations against Russian oil facilities.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reminded Russia that attacks on civilian infrastructure breach international humanitarian law, urging an end to assaults on electrical facilities.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia executed a considerable strike between Wednesday and Thursday, deploying 219 long-range attack drones, 24 ballistic missiles, and one guided aircraft missile. Key targets included the capital Kyiv, Kharkov, Dnipro, and Odesa, all facing ongoing shelling.
In Dnipropetrovsk, a Russian airstrike left four individuals injured, including a young girl and a newborn boy, as reported by regional director Oleksandr Hanza. Additionally, residential buildings were damaged in Kyiv, resulting in two injuries, according to city officials.
Odesa also experienced significant destruction—part of a high-rise building was damaged, and both a market and supermarket caught fire, injuring one person, Hanza noted via Telegram.
Even as temperatures in Kyiv rise above freezing, the chill remains persistent. Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for reconstruction, stated that 2,600 buildings lost heating from the recent missile attacks, compounding the 1,100 already unheated from previous strikes.
In Odesa, about 300,000 people lost access to water, while approximately 10,000 in Dnipropetrovsk were left without central heating.
In response, Ukraine conducted long-range attacks on Russian military sites and refineries crucial to Russia’s economy. The military confirmed that a domestically developed long-range drone targeted the Ukhta oil refinery in Russia’s Komi region, situated about 1,750 kilometers from the Ukraine border.
An official from Ukraine’s Security Service disclosed to The Associated Press that this marked the first successful flight of a Ukrainian drone of that range. Additionally, Ukraine’s military stated that a long-range Flamingo missile struck a significant Russian military storage site in Volgograd, causing substantial damage.
Separately, attacks targeted the Michurinsk Progress plant in Russia’s Tambov region, a defense facility producing advanced aviation and missile technology, which resulted in a fire, according to military reports. The damage to the Volgograd refinery was also acknowledged from an attack the previous day.
In a different vein, the White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump played a role in reuniting small groups of Russian and Ukrainian children and families separated by the conflict. Five children, aged four to 15, were reunited with families in Ukraine, while one was returned to Russia. Maria Lviva-Belova, the Kremlin’s children’s rights director, is under prosecution by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes regarding the deportation of Ukrainian children. This was the third family reunion facilitated by the First Lady.
