(MENAFN) Russia launched fresh air strikes on Ukraine overnight, targeting key infrastructure in Kremenchuk, a central industrial city, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described a “very constructive” phone call with Donald Trump’s negotiating team following three days of talks in Florida.

Kremenchuk Mayor Vitaliy Maletsk reported that the city suffered a “massive combined strike” affecting utilities such as water, electricity, and heating. The extent of the damage remains unclear, and no casualties have yet been confirmed. The city, situated roughly halfway between Kyiv and the eastern frontline, has been repeatedly targeted since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Meanwhile, Russia claimed it shot down 77 Ukrainian drones in multiple locations.

The assaults came amid intensified diplomatic efforts in Miami, where US-led negotiations aimed at drafting a peace settlement continued. At the conclusion of the talks, Zelensky said he was “determined” to keep working with the US, including Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to ensure Russia adheres to any potential deal. "Ukraine is determined to keep working in good faith with the American side to genuinely achieve peace," Zelensky said on social media. "We covered many aspects and went through key points that could ensure an end to the bloodshed and eliminate the threat of a new Russian full scale invasion."

The White House has advocated for a multi-point plan to end the conflict, but despite engagement from both Kyiv and Moscow, little progress has been achieved. Russia’s ongoing strikes have drawn condemnation from Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “full solidarity” with Ukraine, adding that “France is determined to work with all partners to secure de-escalation measures and to impose a ceasefire.” Macron, Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are scheduled to meet in London on Monday to review ongoing negotiations.

European leaders have sought to modify the US-backed plan, pressing for comprehensive security guarantees for post-war Ukraine, including the potential deployment of a peacekeeping force. Starmer has emphasized the importance of a “coalition of the willing” to maintain Kyiv’s defense in the event of a ceasefire, describing it as “vital” for Ukraine’s long-term security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, rejected the proposal, warning that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets.”

Earlier in the week, Witkoff returned from Kremlin talks with Putin, which did not produce a breakthrough. Following that meeting, he and Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov issued a joint statement confirming they had “agreed on the framework of security arrangements” and “discussed necessary deterrence capabilities to sustain a lasting peace.”

The success of these measures, they noted, depends on Russia’s willingness to commit to de-escalation and a genuine cessation of hostilities.

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