The central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, strategically located between Kyiv and the eastern front lines, was subjected to a “massive combined strike” on its civilian infrastructure.
Russia launched a fresh wave of aerial attacks on Ukraine in an overnight assault on Saturday, hitting major industrial hub just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded what he termed “very constructive” peace negotiations with President Donald Trump’s negotiating team in Miami.
On Sunday morning, the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, strategically located between Kyiv and the eastern front lines, was subjected to a “massive combined strike” on its civilian infrastructure.
Mayor Vitaliy Maletsk confirmed the repeated attacks, noting that water, electricity, and heat services were disrupted, though no deaths have been officially confirmed so far.
The fact that the attacks are still raging even as top-level diplomacy ramps up just shows the same old problem—the fighting isn’t slowing down.
Constructive dialogue follows intensified diplomacy
President Zelenskyy expressed his “determination” to continue working with the US side following three days of talks in Florida with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Posting on X, Zelenskyy stated they had “covered many aspects and went through key points” that could ensure an end to the bloodshed, focusing specifically on how to ensure Russia adhered to any future peace deal.
The US-led process, aimed at drafting a comprehensive peace settlement, has seen both Ukrainian and American negotiators urge Russia to show a “serious commitment to long-term peace.” This plea came just days after Witkoff’s return from the Kremlin, where breakthrough progress remained elusive.
Witkoff and Ukraine’s senior negotiator, Rustem Umerov, announced that they had “agreed on the framework of security arrangements” and discussed “necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace.”
Europe pushes for security guarantees
The renewed Russian attacks, which included claims by Moscow of shooting down 77 Ukrainian drones in various locations, drew immediate condemnation from Kyiv’s European allies. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Zelenskyy, offering “full solidarity” and stating that France is determined to work with all partners to secure de-escalation and a ceasefire.
The latest developments in the peace process occur ahead of crucial
in-person talks in London on Monday, set to involve Macron, Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Europe has been pushing back against earlier versions of the US-led plan, seeking support for its own proposals that include comprehensive security guarantees for a post-war Ukraine.
Starmer has championed the concept of a “coalition of the willing” to underwrite Ukraine’s defense and deter a second invasion, a proposal Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected, stating any deployed troops would be “legitimate targets.”
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