A dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia unfolded as both nations engaged in a series of drone attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the exchange as "a pre-arranged exchange," which resulted in one fatality and 14 injuries between Tuesday and Wednesday. The Russian defense ministry reported intercepting and destroying 57 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, with 35 of these targeted over the Kursk border region.
The Kremlin condemned an attack on an oil facility within Russia, labeling it as evidence of Ukraine's "lack of will" to negotiate a peace deal. The strikes also hit civilian infrastructure, including a hospital in the Sumy region of eastern Ukraine and an electricity system in the central Dnipropetrovsk region crucial for railway power.
Zelensky openly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of breaking his pledge to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, a promise allegedly made during a recent phone call between Putin and US President Donald Trump. Despite Putin's announcement on Tuesday to halt such strikes, Russia launched 150 drones overnight, targeting energy facilities and striking regions such as Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Chernihiv.
"When Putin said that he was allegedly ordering a halt to strikes on Ukrainian energy, there were 150 drones overnight, including on energy facilities. There were strikes on transportation, unfortunately, two hospitals were hit, and on urban infrastructure," stated Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the midst of these hostilities, a prisoner swap was anticipated to occur on Wednesday, involving 175 individuals. This exchange was part of a broader pattern of aerial assaults between the two nations.
"Putin essentially rejected the proposal of a comprehensive ceasefire. It would be right for the world to reject any attempts by Putin to draw out the war," Zelensky added.
The Kremlin's readout suggested that Putin had responded positively to an initiative proposed during the call with Trump, stating that he had instructed the Russian military accordingly. However, the ongoing drone attacks cast doubt on these assurances.
"Vladimir Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the corresponding order," according to the Kremlin readout.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States were also brought into focus following the Trump-Putin call. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, noted the mutual understanding between the two presidents.
"I can say with a high degree of confidence that Presidents Putin and Trump understand each other well, trust each other, and intend to gradually move towards normalizing Russian-American relations," stated Dmitry Peskov.
The situation highlights the complexities and challenges in achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The events underscore the fragile nature of any agreements made and point to an urgent need for effective diplomacy and concerted international efforts to de-escalate tensions.
