Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says ‘good news’ coming on peace talks even as Putin rains missiles on Kyiv – UK Times

Several reports on explosions are coming in from Ukrainian cities.

Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, reported several strikes in succession by drones and missiles.

Public broadcaster Suspilne reported a series of explosions in the southeastern city of Dnipro and in Sumy, near the Russian border.

Donald Trump has said his negotiating team working on ending the war in Ukraine could have some good news soon.

“I think we’re doing very well with Ukraine and Russia. For the first time, I’m saying that,” the US president said, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.

“I think we’re going to, maybe, have some good news”.

Hours later, Russian forces rained missiles and drones on Ukrainian cities, resuming their attacks after a week of ceasefire requested by Trump.

A kindergarten was among many of the civilian targets hit in Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said it would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat those forces as legitimate targets.

“The deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be regarded as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to Russia’s security,” the Russian foreign ministry said, quoting the foreign minister.

It said Western countries – which have discussed a possible deployment to Ukraine to help secure any peace deal – had to understand “that all foreign military contingents, including German ones, if deployed in Ukraine, will become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he has ordered the country’s military leaders to respond to the latest series of Russian attacks on the war-hit nation’s railway infrastructure and logistics routes.

Russian forces have increased their attacks on Ukraine’s nationwide railway network after capturing critical train hubs in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk. At least five people were killed after a train was attacked in the eastern region of Kharkiv.

“The Russian army remains focused on terror against our logistics – primarily railway infrastructure,” Zelensky said. “In particular, there were strikes in the Dnipro region and in Zaporizhzhia, specifically targeting railway facilities,” he said.

“During today’s coordination call, specific tasks in this regard were set for the Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Minister of Defence, and the Head of Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). I expect these tasks to be carried out today,” he said.

President Donald Trump has said his latest trade deal signed with India will end the war in Ukraine as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil.

The US president said that he plans to lower tariff on goods from India to 18 per cent from 25 per cent in a breakthrough deal, months after Washington pressed New Delhi to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude.

Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on US goods to zero and buy $500bn worth of American products.

“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.

India has taken advantage of reduced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is sending a delegation to a new round of US-brokered talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

The talks, which were initially tabled to be held over the weekend, are now set to go ahead this week after a brief postponement, a senior Kremlin official said.

The negotiations are taking place against a backdrop of continued front-line fighting and deadly long-range attacks on rear areas.

The trilateral talks will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi, where a previous meeting was held last month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed.

The UK has expelled a Russian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow last month expelled a British diplomat, accusing them of being an undeclared spy.

Russia’s accusations were “baseless” and the expulsion was “unprovoked and unjustified”, a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office (FCDO) said in a statement on Monday.

“Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat,” the spokesperson said.

Russia and the West have repeatedly accused each other of espionage campaigns since the war erupted in Ukraine.

The FCDO spokesperson added that “any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly”.

At least two people have been injured in Russia’s overnight missile attack on Kyiv, officials said, confirming damage to apartment blocks and other buildings.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a building housing a kindergarten had been set on fire and a non-residential building hit in eastern districts.

An air raid alert remained in effect more than two hours after it had been announced.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city’s military administration, confirmed that several apartment buildings, an education establishment and a commercial building had been damaged in districts east of the Dnipro River.

In Kyiv, Reuters witnesses reported loud explosions in the city after midnight and said both missiles and drones were being deployed.

Early visuals from the attacked parts of the Ukrainian capital showed an apartment on the upper floors of a Kyiv block ablaze.

Russian air attacks were also confirmed in other Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, where the regional governor said at least two were injured.