Russia and Ukraine have launched fresh air attacks on each other’s infrastructure, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow would stop targeting Ukrainian energy sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian strikes had hit civilian areas, including hospitals. He added that Putin had effectively rejected a full ceasefire during his call on Tuesday with former US President Donald Trump.
Putin reportedly told Trump that a complete ceasefire would only be possible if Ukraine’s allies halted military assistance. However, European nations supporting Ukraine have previously dismissed such conditions.
Officials in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region confirmed that a Ukrainian drone attack had sparked a small fire at an oil depot. In response, Russia’s military said it had intercepted and destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 35 of them targeted over the Kursk border region.
Within hours of Putin’s agreement to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Zelensky reported that Russian attacks had continued, including a strike on a hospital in Sumy.
The regional administration shared footage showing smoke rising from a collapsed hospital wing, though no casualties were reported.
Zelensky stated that Russia had launched over 40 drones against Ukraine in the aftermath of the Putin-Trump call. He accused Russia of continuing to destroy Ukraine’s energy sector and civilian infrastructure, rejecting any commitment to peace.
The Ukrainian leader also confirmed he would hold a separate call with Trump on Wednesday but did not disclose further details.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation as "difficult," following reports of attempted Ukrainian ground assaults, which Moscow claimed had been repelled.
Putin refused to agree to an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to suspend attacks on energy sites. He also declined to endorse a month-long ceasefire proposal that Trump’s team had recently coordinated with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia and the US would finalise the dates and attendees for their next meeting either today or on Thursday.
US talks on Ukraine are set to continue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, according to Steve Witkoff, the US envoy to the Middle East.
Follow us
