At least seven people have been killed including two children during intense Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, officials say. A kindergarten was hit in Ukraine's second biggest city Kharkiv and there was widespread damage in Kyiv. Children were among the 27 people wounded. Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump said his plans for an imminent summit in Budapest with Russia's Vladimir Putin had been shelved as he did not want a 'wasted meeting.' President Volodymyr Zelensky stated the attacks proved Moscow had not come under enough pressure for its continued war.
The Kremlin has rejected calls for a ceasefire along the current front lines made both by Trump and European leaders. However, Russian officials stated that preparations for a Trump-Putin summit were continuing, disputing the US president's assessment that it had been put on hold. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that careful preparation was needed and that a summit was the mutual desire of both presidents.
Ukraine's president arrived in Norway on Wednesday at the start of a European trip, days after discussions with Trump in Washington, where he sought US long-range Tomahawk missiles. Zelensky indicated that Trump's proposal to freeze the front line was a 'good compromise', but he doubted Putin's willingness to support it. He linked the cancellation of the summit to the lack of US military support, suggesting that Russia's diplomatic interest diminished as Ukraine's military needs remained unfulfilled.
Following the overnight strikes, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia unleashed 405 drones and 28 missiles, with the capital under a ballistic missile warning throughout the night. The attacks specifically targeted energy infrastructures leading to power outages across various regions. Reports emphasized the urgency of the situation as urban areas faced destruction with residents struggling for basic necessities.
The Kremlin has rejected calls for a ceasefire along the current front lines made both by Trump and European leaders. However, Russian officials stated that preparations for a Trump-Putin summit were continuing, disputing the US president's assessment that it had been put on hold. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that careful preparation was needed and that a summit was the mutual desire of both presidents.
Ukraine's president arrived in Norway on Wednesday at the start of a European trip, days after discussions with Trump in Washington, where he sought US long-range Tomahawk missiles. Zelensky indicated that Trump's proposal to freeze the front line was a 'good compromise', but he doubted Putin's willingness to support it. He linked the cancellation of the summit to the lack of US military support, suggesting that Russia's diplomatic interest diminished as Ukraine's military needs remained unfulfilled.
Following the overnight strikes, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia unleashed 405 drones and 28 missiles, with the capital under a ballistic missile warning throughout the night. The attacks specifically targeted energy infrastructures leading to power outages across various regions. Reports emphasized the urgency of the situation as urban areas faced destruction with residents struggling for basic necessities.
