Just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to scale back strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, both Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone attacks, reigniting tensions across the front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of effectively walking back the limited ceasefire deal, which had followed a lengthy phone call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
He said Moscow launched around 40 drones overnight, hitting civilian targets, including a hospital.
“Russia has essentially rejected the full ceasefire proposal,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the agreement discussed during the Trump-Putin call. He emphasized that key parts of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, especially in the energy sector, were once again being targeted.
The U.S. had initially proposed a 30-day ceasefire, but Putin refused to fully commit, insisting that any comprehensive agreement would require the complete suspension of Western military support for Kyiv.
This was reported by Euronews.
Despite Putin’s verbal commitment to scale down attacks, Ukraine's state railway operator reported that a drone strike in the central Dnipropetrovsk region caused parts of the railway to lose power.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, officials reported that a Ukrainian drone hit an oil depot, sparking a small fire. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it had intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them near the Kursk border area.
In a rare positive development, both sides are expected to proceed with a prisoner exchange of 175 individuals on Wednesday, part of the outcome of the Trump-Putin call.
President Trump framed the conversation as a step in the right direction, with the White House calling it a “movement toward peace.” The proposed agreement reportedly included a halt to fighting along the frontline and a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, though Putin has yet to fully endorse these terms.
Trump also pushed back against the Kremlin’s claim that he agreed to end Western aid to Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News, he said, “We didn’t talk about aid.”
Zelenskyy, in turn, reaffirmed Ukraine’s openness to any proposal that could lead to lasting and fair peace, but rejected any demands to end military assistance and intelligence sharing from allied nations.
The Kremlin issued a statement after the call saying Moscow was ready to work with the U.S. toward a long-term solution. Putin reiterated Russia’s demand that any resolution must address the “root causes” of the conflict and “legitimate Russian security concerns.”
Those demands include Ukraine withdrawing from four Russian-claimed regions, giving up ambitions to join NATO, and agreeing to demilitarization—conditions Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed to Fox News that dialogue between Washington and Moscow will continue, with a new round of talks scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia this Sunday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will lead the U.S. delegation.
