Russia, Ukraine Trade Strikes as Peace Talks Involving US, Europe Set to Resume

Moscow launched a fresh wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s power and port infrastructure on Saturday, while Kyiv carried out a deadly retaliatory attack on southwestern Russia, just a day before diplomatic talks aimed at ending the war were due to resume.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said senior Ukrainian, US and European officials would hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he would personally meet envoys of US President Donald Trump.

“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelensky said in a late-night address to the nation.

According to a White House official, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are traveling to Berlin for the talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

US officials have spent months trying to bridge the gap between Moscow and Kyiv as Trump pushes for a swift end to the war, expressing growing frustration over stalled progress. Efforts to identify possible compromises have faced major hurdles, particularly over the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, most of which is currently under Russian occupation.

“The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community,” Zelensky said. “We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified, and to secure a guarantee — above all — that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion.”

War Continues Amid Diplomacy

Even as diplomats press for a breakthrough, fighting on the ground has intensified.

Zelensky said Russia attacked five Ukrainian regions overnight, launching more than 450 drones and 30 missiles, primarily targeting energy and port infrastructure. With temperatures hovering around freezing, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than one million people were left without electricity.

In the southern port city of Odesa, an attack sparked fires at grain silos, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Reconstruction Minister Oleksiy Kuleba. Two people were wounded in the wider Odesa region, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.

Kyiv and its allies accuse Moscow of deliberately targeting the power grid to deprive civilians of heat, electricity and running water for a fourth consecutive winter — a tactic Ukrainian officials describe as “weaponizing” the cold.

Ukraine, meanwhile, carried out a drone strike in Russia’s Saratov region, damaging a residential building and killing two people, regional governor Roman Busargin said. He added that windows were shattered at a kindergarten and a clinic. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it shot down 41 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Front Line Claims and Ceasefire Conditions

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces said the northern part of Pokrovsk remains under Ukrainian control, disputing Russian claims earlier this month that Moscow had fully captured the strategically important city. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims.

The latest attacks followed comments on Friday by Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who said Russia would agree to a ceasefire only after Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of the Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control. Ukraine has repeatedly rejected any proposal to cede remaining territory.

Ushakov told business daily Kommersant that Russian police and National Guard units would remain in parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas even if the area were designated a demilitarized zone under a future peace plan — a condition likely to be unacceptable to Kyiv.

He also warned that negotiations could drag on, saying US proposals that had initially taken Russian demands into account were later “worsened” by changes suggested by Ukraine and its European allies.

“We don’t know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren’t for the better,” Ushakov said. “We will strongly insist on our considerations.”

Train Evacuation in Poland

In a separate incident, around 480 passengers were evacuated on Saturday from a train traveling between the Polish city of Przemysl and Kyiv after police received a threat warning, said Karolina Kowalik, a spokesperson for Przemysl police. No one was injured, and authorities did not disclose details of the threat.

Polish authorities remain on high alert following multiple attempts to disrupt rail links between Warsaw and the Ukrainian border, including explosive incidents in November. Polish officials have said they have evidence pointing to Russian involvement.