Ukraine War Latest News: Zelensky, Trump Negotiate Over U.S. Deployment

Authorities in Ukraine’s Odessa region said Russia launched a drone strike in the Odessa region at night, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure and injuring four people, including three children.

Odessa, the main Black Sea port, has been repeatedly targeted by Russian missiles and drones during the nearly four-year war, with attacks frequently hitting energy, transport and port infrastructure as well as residential areas.

“Attack drones hit residential, logistics and energy infrastructure in our region,” Odessa regional governor Ole Kiper said.

Serhiy Lisak, director of the Odessa Military Administration, said on Telegram that four people were injured in Odessa, the administrative center of the Odessa region, including a 7-month-old baby, two other children and a 42-year-old man.

Drone debris and direct hits damaged the facades and windows of several high-rise apartment buildings, he said.

Images posted by Lisak showed thick smoke billowing from a multi-story apartment building at night, flames visible in several windows, and firefighters’ water cannons appearing to be aimed at the front of the building.

Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that Russian troops were advancing into Ukrainian defense lines and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the expansion of buffer zones in Sumy and Kharkiv, Ukraine, in 2026.

According to reports, Gerasimov inspected the “Northern” troops and held a meeting at the command post.

Russian “North” forces were formed in early 2024 and have been operating in northeastern Ukraine, seeking to establish a buffer zone on the Ukrainian borders of Sumy and Kharkiv to repel Ukrainian forces and prepare for further advances.

On Tuesday, Russia boasted that it had deployed nuclear-capable missiles in Belarus, while Vladimir Putin sought to escalate tensions over Ukraine just as peace talks appeared to be making progress.

Putin said that the medium-range “Oleshnik” missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 10 and are not intercepted; Sergei Karakayev, commander of the Russian Missile Forces, previously claimed that these weapons “can hit targets across European territory.”

Tensions between the two countries have increased after Russia accused Ukraine of using 91 drones to attack Putin’s private residence.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has officially entered service, as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a solution to Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.

The deployment of the advanced weapons system took place in neighboring Belarus, which also borders NATO countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

While the ministry confirmed the activation, it did not reveal the number of missiles deployed or provide further specific details about the system’s capabilities or location within Belarus.

This follows a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December, saying the Oreshnik would be ready for combat this month.

In a meeting with top Russian military officials, Putin warned that Moscow intends to expand territorial gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands during peace talks.

Moscow first used Oreshnik (Russian for “hazelnut tree”) against Ukraine in November 2024, when it fired the experimental weapon from a factory in Dnipro that made missiles when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

Putin praised the capabilities of the Oreshnik missile, saying its multiple warheads can rush to a target at speeds of up to Mach 10 without being intercepted.

He warned the West that Moscow could use it against Ukraine’s NATO allies, which allow Kiev to use long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

A Ukrainian drone strike damaged port infrastructure and gas pipelines in the residential area of ​​the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse, the regional government said this morning, adding that no casualties were reported.

Emergency crews were sent to repair the damage, the Krasnodar Regional Operations Headquarters said on Telegram. It added that the port’s berths had been damaged.

Telegram news channel SHOT, which has sources in the Russian security services, said a series of explosions were heard over Tuapse last night and residents in one area reported a fire.

Several Ukrainian media outlets, including RBC-Ukraine, posted photos on Telegram showing a fire burning in the distance at night, with the outline of a communications mast in the foreground.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has cast doubt on Russian claims that Ukraine attacked President Vladimir Putin’s residence on Tuesday.

“It’s unclear if this actually happened,” Whitaker told Fox Business’s “Varney & Co.”

“It seems a bit indecent to me to be so close to a peace deal, which Ukraine really wants, and then do something that would be seen as reckless or unhelpful,” he said.

Whitaker said he wanted to know U.S. intelligence on the incident.

Europe rallied behind Ukraine on Tuesday over unsubstantiated Russian accusations that Kiev carried out a drone attack on the presidential palace in Novgorod on Monday night.

The German government said it shared Ukraine’s concerns that the accusations could lead to further escalation.

Sources close to French President Emmanuel Macron also said there was no evidence to substantiate the Russian authorities’ accusations.

“Ukraine and its partners are committed to a peaceful path, while Russia has chosen to continue and intensify the war against Ukraine. This in itself is a defiance of President Trump’s peace agenda,” the source told Reuters.

Mark Almond says reports of unlikely airstrikes on Putin’s mansion are a reminder that the Russian president sees endless conflict and chaos as the best means of control Mark Almond says he worries about winning in Ukraine almost as much as losing:

Russia said on Tuesday it had deployed nuclear capabilities Missiles in Belarus Vladimir Putin is trying to escalate tensions in Ukraine.

The latest threats came after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attacking the Russian presidential palace in Novgorod without providing evidence – something Kyiv dismissed as a “lie” intended to derail progress in peace talks.

Russia now claims Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks on Moscow on Tuesday.

One person was injured near the capital, authorities said.

Russian air defense forces destroyed a total of 27 Ukrainian drones in three hours starting at 5pm GMT, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Just a day earlier, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s official residence without providing evidence – a move that U.S. and European officials expressed skepticism.