Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed skepticism regarding the promise of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, not to attack energy infrastructure, calling the current situation far from reality following drone attacks overnight across the country. Zelensky planned to discuss with U.S. President Donald Trump the latter's call with Putin and the next steps to take.
According to Zelensky, attacks on energy facilities continued even after Putin stated he ordered them to stop, mentioning that 150 drones were launched overnight, some targeting energy infrastructure. While Russia claimed to have halted its attacks, it accused Ukraine of attacking equipment near one of its pipelines, a claim that was rejected by Kiev.
Russian airstrikes on civilian areas in Ukraine, which included impacts in urban areas and damage to a hospital, occurred after Putin rejected a total ceasefire of 30 days during his conversation with Trump. The White House considered this call as a first step towards peace, although no signs emerged that Putin was willing to concede on his conditions for a potential peace agreement, conditions that Ukraine vehemently rejects.
Russian authorities claim to have intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, while a drone attack was reported in the Krasnodar region, bordering Crimea, followed by a fire at an oil depot. For its part, Ukraine reportedly attacked an energy facility in the Krasnodar region hours after the conversation between Putin and Trump.
Zelensky emphasized that words about a ceasefire are not enough and mentioned that his country would not attack Russian facilities if they were not attacked first, underlining the importance of reciprocity in actions. Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb considered the talks between Putin and Trump to represent progress but urged Russia to cease its aggression and seek a lasting end to the conflict in Ukraine.
