Russia bombards Ukraine as US says progress made in talks with Kyiv

Nardine Saadand

Harry Sekulich

Reuters damaged railway depot in FastivReuters

Russia targeted a railway depot in the town of Fastiv outside Kyiv

Russia has launched a major aerial bombardment against Ukrainian infrastructure targets as talks between the US and Ukraine in Florida are set to enter a third day.

Overnight Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles, most of which were downed, authorities said. One strike hit a railway hub at the town of Fastiv outside Kyiv, destroying the main station building and damaging rolling stock.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack had been “meaningless from a military point of view, and the Russians could not have been unaware of this”.

Earlier US and Ukrainian negotiators urged Russia to show a “serious commitment to long-term peace” after talks in Moscow failed to produce a breakthrough.

Moscow has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector and infrastructure in recent weeks.

On Saturday Ukraine’s energy ministry said Russian attacks had hit energy facilities in eight regions, causing blackouts.

Meanwhile the UN’s nuclear watchdog said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all external power overnight – the 11th time this has happened since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

The Russian defence ministry said it had launched a “massive strike” in response to what it called Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets.

“Russia continues to disregard any peace efforts and instead strikes critical civilian infrastructure,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

“This shows that no decisions to strengthen Ukraine and raise pressure on Russia can be delayed. And especially not under the pretext of peace process,” he added.

In Florida, a statement posted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff said two days of talks with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, had been “constructive”.

Witkoff and Umerov “agreed on the framework of security arrangements” that could such an agreement and “discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace”, their statement said without giving details.

The prospect of ending the war depended on Russia’s readiness to take “steps towards de-escalation and cessation of killing”, the statement added.

The negotiations, which are also attended by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, will continue for a third day on Saturday.

The Florida talks saw Ukraine’s team briefed on a recent meeting between Witkoff, Trump’s most senior overseas envoy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters destroyed trains in FastivReuters

The strike in Fastiv damaged locomotives

Witkoff spent almost five hours with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, after which the Kremlin said “no compromise” had been reached on a draft US peace plan.

The Kremlin said Putin was ready to continue meeting the Americans “as many times as needed”, but Ukraine and its allies in Europe have called into question the Russian leader’s commitment to ending the war.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted to “obtain full information about what was said in Moscow and what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war”.

Kyiv pushed for revisions to the initial US peace plan, which was widely seen as favourable to Moscow when an initial version leaked to the media. An updated version has not been shared publicly.

Major points of contention remain between the two sides, including security guarantees for Ukraine post-war and territorial concessions.

Russia currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including swathes of the Donbas area in the east – made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In an interview with India Today on Friday, Putin warned Ukrainian troops to withdraw fully from the region this week, saying Russia would otherwise “liberate these [Donbas] territories by force”.

Kyiv and its European allies believe the most effective way to deter Russia from attacking again in the future would be to grant Ukraine membership of Nato, or to provide comprehensive security guarantees.

Russia is staunchly opposed, while Trump too has repeatedly signalled he has no intention of letting Ukraine join the military alliance.

The prospect of Ukraine joining Nato was a “key question” that was tackled in Moscow, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Trump said those talks were “reasonably good”, but it was too soon to say what would happen as “it does take two to tango”.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Syria without Assad is lighter

Syria without Assad is lighter

Jeremy BowenInternational Editor BBC A year ago, the war that President Bashar al-Assad seemed to have won was turned upside down. A rebel force had broken out of Idlib, a Syrian province on the border with Turkey, and was storming towards Damascus. It was led by a man known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and his

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in red tie, at an AI forum in Moscow with Sberbank CEO Herman Gref. The state-owned lender leads Russia’s AI efforts.

Putin Wanted AI Supremacy. Now Russia Is Struggling to Stay in the Race.

President Vladimir Putin has often proclaimed that Russia must lead the world in artificial intelligence. In reality, the country is stuck on the sidelines as others pull ahead. PREMIUM Russian President Vladimir Putin, in red tie, at an AI forum in Moscow with Sberbank CEO Herman Gref. The state-owned lender leads Russia’s AI efforts. As

Nurse found guilty of Australian beach murder

Nurse found guilty of Australian beach murder

Queensland Police Service The murder of Toyah Cordingley prompted an outpouring of grief across the state of Queensland. A former nurse has been found guilty of the high-profile murder of Toyah Cordingley, whose body was found on a popular tropical beach in Australia seven years ago. Toyah Cordingley was stabbed at least 26 times while

Investor looking at their computing screen in awe.

This Cash-Machine Stock Is Set to Triple Over the Next 5 Years

Taiwan Semiconductor is my favorite investment pick right now. One area where there is a ton of cash being spent is the artificial intelligence sector. AI hyperscalers seem to be tripping over themselves to spend as much money as possible to build out their computing capacity. Several companies are benefiting from this massive spending spree.

Elon Musk

Europe’s Foolish War on X.com

The European Union’s decision Friday to impose a fine on Elon Musk’s social-media platform X.com raises a question: What the heck is wrong with these people? Even in Brussels, it’s unusual for a single policy move to create so much economic self-sabotage and diplomatic harm at one go. PREMIUM Elon Musk The €120 million ($140

Goa nightclub fire kills 25 staff and tourists

Goa nightclub fire kills 25 staff and tourists

Vikas Pandey,in Goa, Devina Gupta,in Delhi,and Harry Sekulich Watch: BBC reports from scene of deadly Goa nightclub fire A fire at a popular nightclub in India’s coastal region of Goa has killed 25 people, local officials say. Police had initially thought a gas cylinder in the Birch nightclub’s kitchen exploded – but the region’s chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks were made during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (AFP)

Netanyahu to move to next phase of Gaza ceasefire plan soon

Israel expects to move to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan soon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, adding that he would discuss “opportunities for peace” with President Donald Trump when he meets him later this month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks were made during a joint press conference with German

LiDAR on iPhone next to camera lenses

How To Use LiDAR On Your iPhone (And Why You Should)

John Keeble/Getty Images To make the iPhone as capable as it is, Apple equipped it with several sensors. One of these is the LiDAR scanner. LiDAR — short for Light Detection and Ranging — is a sensor that essentially measures distances to develop a 3D map of

A quantum computing chip schematic.

Prediction: This Stock Will Be the Biggest Quantum Computing Winner of 2026

Amid recent quantum advancements, now may be IBM’s time to shine. Quantum computing stocks benefited from enormous success in 2025. Over the last year, start-up companies in this industry, like Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum, rose more than 600%. Even Google-parent Alphabet increased by almost 90%. While its success may have had more to do

Evening Headlines

Over 200,000 power banks sold on Amazon recalled over fire risks

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Over 200,000 portable power banks sold on Amazon have been recalled over possible fire risks, the Consumer Product Safety

Experts urge residents to eat costly invasive species wreaking havoc on native ecosystems — and it's unexpectedly delicious

‘Definitely not what we want’

Alarming footage from the necropsy of a gigantic Burmese python in Florida resurfaced on Reddit, drawing awareness to the state’s massive invasive species problem. What’s happening? “Florida is the Australia of the United States” is a loose internet proverb, one that alludes to their shared propensity for putting the “wild” in “wildlife.” On the r/InterestingAsF***

President Donald Trump talks to the media while walking the red carpet before the 48th Kennedy Center Honors.(AP)

Trump’s Christmas ‘naughty list’ has many names; ‘could cause problems’

US President Donald Trump on Saturday brushed aside a question about his “naughty list,” offering a light remark about its length and the trouble it might cause. The comment came as he presented medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center Honours recipients during a ceremony. President Donald Trump talks to the media while walking the red

Duke of Sussex

Harry’s security arrangements while in UK being reviewed – report

Harry wrote to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood shortly after her appointment and submitted a formal request for a risk assessment to the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is overseen by the Home Office, a source close to the duke said in October. Harry has claimed it would be

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to press before his meeting with President of Cyprus in Kyiv on December 4, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Zelenskiy says Ukraine’s peace talks with US constructive but not easy

Published on: Dec 08, 2025 04:34 am IST Zelenskiy held a call on Saturday with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner Talks with U.S. representatives on a peace plan for Ukraine have been constructive but not easy, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday ahead of his planned

Las Vegas, United States - October 15, 2024: Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX airplane at Las Vegas Airport in the United States.

Southwest Airlines Slashes 2025 Earnings Forecast by 40% as Government Shutdown Devastates Holiday Travel

Southwest Airlines delivered a stark warning to investors Friday, cutting its full-year 2025 earnings forecast by 40% as the historic 43-day government shutdown decimated holiday travel demand and triggered widespread industry disruption. The company said it now expects its full-year earnings before interest and taxes to be about $500 million, compared with its previous forecast

Racism probe does not reflect Staffordshire, says MP

Racism probe does not reflect Staffordshire, says MP

BBC Josh Newbury said he believed that action should have been taken sooner A Staffordshire MP has said the suspension of the county council’s leader from Reform UK for allegedly making racist comments on social media “does not reflect who we are” as a county. Ian Cooper’s membership was revoked on Friday after “an investigation

Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes.

Billionaire Jamie Dimon Smacks Down Trump Goon: ‘Grow Up’

The CEO of JPMorgan Chase has taken the head of Donald Trump’s media company to task for claiming the lender “debanked” the firm under political pressure from the Joe Biden administration. “People have to grow up here, okay, and stop making up things,” Jamie Dimon told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures. “We

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x