Russia unleashed a massive aerial assault on Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure in one of its largest strikes yet, as diplomatic efforts to end the war gained momentum. The overnight barrage, which began on Friday, saw Russia deploy 704 drones and 51 missiles across the country, targeting power stations and critical infrastructure.
At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, with Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko confirming that the assault hit 29 separate locations. The strikes temporarily severed power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, raising concerns about reactor safety. The facility, which has been under Russian occupation since early in Moscow's invasion, requires continuous electricity to cool its six shutdown reactors and prevent catastrophic failure.
Russian forces are also making incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow's troops closing in on Pokrovsk, a former logistics hub in the Donetsk region. The city of Myrnohrad is nearly surrounded, while Russian troops have captured roughly 505 sq km (195 sq miles) of territory since November, nearly double October's gains.
Despite the progress made by Russia in recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled that peace talks with the United States were gaining momentum. A phone call between Zelenskyy and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was described as "substantive", but both sides acknowledged that meaningful progress would depend on Moscow's willingness to pursue genuine peace.
However, a joint statement released by the parties involved acknowledged that "real progress towards any agreement" depended on Russia demonstrating "serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps towards de-escalation". The talks in Miami followed a Tuesday meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which failed to produce an agreement.
The International Criminal Court's deputy prosecutor also weighed in on the situation, stating that an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine could not be halted by peace negotiations. The warrant could only be temporarily deferred by United Nations Security Council action, with the ICC emphasizing that "there must be the possibility of accountability in order for peace to be enduring".
As tensions continue to simmer in Ukraine and Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Zelenskyy alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Monday to assess the US-mediated negotiations. Macron condemned Russia's "escalatory path" and insisted that "we must continue to put pressure on Russia to force it to make peace".
At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, with Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko confirming that the assault hit 29 separate locations. The strikes temporarily severed power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, raising concerns about reactor safety. The facility, which has been under Russian occupation since early in Moscow's invasion, requires continuous electricity to cool its six shutdown reactors and prevent catastrophic failure.
Russian forces are also making incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow's troops closing in on Pokrovsk, a former logistics hub in the Donetsk region. The city of Myrnohrad is nearly surrounded, while Russian troops have captured roughly 505 sq km (195 sq miles) of territory since November, nearly double October's gains.
Despite the progress made by Russia in recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signaled that peace talks with the United States were gaining momentum. A phone call between Zelenskyy and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was described as "substantive", but both sides acknowledged that meaningful progress would depend on Moscow's willingness to pursue genuine peace.
However, a joint statement released by the parties involved acknowledged that "real progress towards any agreement" depended on Russia demonstrating "serious commitment to long-term peace, including steps towards de-escalation". The talks in Miami followed a Tuesday meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, which failed to produce an agreement.
The International Criminal Court's deputy prosecutor also weighed in on the situation, stating that an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine could not be halted by peace negotiations. The warrant could only be temporarily deferred by United Nations Security Council action, with the ICC emphasizing that "there must be the possibility of accountability in order for peace to be enduring".
As tensions continue to simmer in Ukraine and Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Zelenskyy alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Monday to assess the US-mediated negotiations. Macron condemned Russia's "escalatory path" and insisted that "we must continue to put pressure on Russia to force it to make peace".
. but at the same time, those drone attacks are like, whoa, too aggressive, you feel? and what's up with zelenskyy saying one thing about peace talks, but still making all these tough decisions that put his own country at risk? 
it's like, progress depends on both sides being willing to compromise... or something. 
but then again, how can you trust russia when they've been playing us from the start? 
Russia just goes on a rampage with their drones and missiles, hitting cities and energy infrastructure... like what even is the point? 
. It's just really frustrating when you think about all the innocent people caught in the middle of this conflict... like, who cares about war and politics? 
And it's not like the US or UK are gonna go in there and save the day - those guys have got their own issues to deal with. It's all about diplomacy and pressure, but sometimes that just doesn't work.
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I'm getting really worried about this war between Russia and Ukraine... It's like, they're already bombing cities and energy infrastructure, and now they're talking about a nuclear plant? 
That's just crazy. And what's with all these drones and missiles being deployed? It feels like an all-out war to me.
And what about France, Britain, and Germany meeting up? Are they trying to figure out a way to bring Russia in line or something?
. The fact that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was hit is super worrying - what if it causes a meltdown? 
The ICC saying an arrest warrant for Putin can't be halted by peace negotiations makes sense - someone's gotta hold him accountable 
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. I get it, we need to make sure Russia doesn't take advantage of a potential deal, but it feels like they're walking us into a trap 
. Can't we find a way to keep both parties honest without resorting to threats? 
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. Accountability is key to lasting peace.
. Still, we gotta try, right? The world is watching, and I'm hoping for a peaceful resolution soon 
Russia is escalating its military actions in Ukraine, which is concerning, but at the same time, there are diplomatic efforts to try and find a peaceful solution. It's like they're playing a high-stakes game of chess, where one wrong move could have disastrous consequences 
. And the fact that Macron and other world leaders are meeting to discuss the situation shows how much they're invested in finding a peaceful resolution.
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. And what's with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant? We should've learned from Chernobyl already 
. Peace talks, negotiations, joint statements... it all sounds so nice in theory, but at the end of the day, words are cheap 
. You need to see some real action from Russia before we can take them seriously.
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, especially the people of Ukraine who are suffering so much right now 
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... fingers crossed that they can lead to a peaceful resolution and an end to this senseless war 
, and the fact that they're still talking about peace negotiations while Russia's just bombing them away 
. And now there's talk of an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes? That's some serious business 
peace talks with usa r gainin momentum? 
let's hope these talks go smoothly or else we'll be stuck in this war for a loooong time 
Seriously though, 704 drones and 51 missiles? That's like trying to find a needle in a haystack... or in this case, trying to protect 29 separate locations from total destruction. 
The ICC is all like "arrest warrant for Putin", but it's like trying to put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound... ain't gonna work, fam 
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