In brief
Kyiv was struck by three waves of missiles just after Russia agreed to restart peace talks, marking a chilling reminder of the war's volatility. President Volodymyr Zelensky sarcastically labeled the attackers as “Russian humanitarians,” a jab at U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who had previously called Putin a “humanitarian.” Despite the damage to a retail park, Russia said it was “ready in principle” to resume discussions with the United States and Ukraine. The new attacks raise questions about the sincerity of peace efforts amid ongoing hostilities.
In a stark reminder of the conflict’s grueling reality, Kiev was struck by three waves of missiles just hours after Russian officials announced their willingness to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the attackers as “Russian humanitarians,” a pointed jab at U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who had earlier referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the same ironic epithet during a meeting in St. Petersburg.
The blasts damaged a wide‑area retail complex, leaving a trail of destruction visible from satellite images, and underscored the lethal cost of the fighting that has raged across eastern and southern Ukraine for over three years.
Russia, meanwhile, has signalled it is “ready in principle” to resume talks, citing a desire for a negotiated settlement but doing so while still enforcing a full‑scale offensive across Ukraine’s borders.
With peace negotiations on the table yet interspersed with deadly attacks, local residents and international observers alike question whether a sustainable cease‑fire is possible as the war continues to claim lives on both sides.
