Russia has intensified its military campaign in Ukraine, launching a new wave of bombings and missile strikes just as a high-stakes diplomatic meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is confirmed. The escalation, which includes a fresh strike on a key bridge in Kherson, signals that the Kremlin is prioritizing its military objectives even as a potential peace summit looms.
The bombardment has resulted in several civilian casualties, underscoring the brutality of the conflict. In Nikopol, a deliberate attack on first responders killed at least three Ukrainians, including 23-year-old rescuer Danylo Khizhnyak, who ran to help after the initial strike. Separately, a 62-year-old civilian woman was killed near the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, and four people, including a 69-year-old woman, were injured in drone strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In a show of strength to the West, Moscow also released visuals of this week’s joint naval exercises with China, “Maritime Interaction-2025.” The two nations, described as “repressive states,” conducted artillery combat on a “simulated enemy.”
Meanwhile, the diplomatic push for peace is gathering momentum. It was confirmed on Thursday that Donald Trump will meet with Putin in the coming days, with the news confirmed by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. While a location has not been announced, Trump has described conversations between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Putin as “highly productive.” He also vowed to impose more sanctions against countries trading oil with Russia, specifically mentioning India and potentially China. However, Trump cautioned that the progress was not yet a “breakthrough.”
On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelensky has intensified his own diplomatic efforts, calling for a face-to-face meeting with Putin to find “real solutions.” Zelensky confirmed a phone call with Trump, which he said also included European leaders. He stated, “It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed.”
Ukraine has also responded to the Russian escalation with its own series of precision strikes on Russian military and strategic targets. Ukrainian forces reportedly hit a military unit and one of the largest refineries in southern Russia in the Krasnodar region, triggering a massive fire. Additionally, strikes targeted air defense units in occupied Crimea and a railway station in the Volgograd region, aiming to disrupt Russia’s military transport system.
The renewed diplomatic and military activity comes as a recent Gallup poll reveals a shift in Ukrainian public sentiment. A new study shows that while Ukrainians are eager for a peace deal, only about a quarter of the population expects a ceasefire within the next 12 months, a stark contrast to the widespread resolve to continue fighting seen in 2022. The combination of Russia’s intensified attacks, the high-stakes diplomatic meetings, and the evolving public mood in Ukraine underscores the volatile and unpredictable nature of the conflict.
