Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed optimism about the possibility of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, following a phone call with US President Donald Trump. Writing on social media, Mr Zelensky said the two leaders discussed the situation along the front line and agreed to continue the conversation in person during the NATO summit in Ankara. He also stated that America’s determination will be crucial in resolving the conflict.
This development comes as the Kremlin reported that Mr Trump held a 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, offering to help find a solution to the war with Ukraine. The call was described as ‘constructive’ by the Kremlin. Meanwhile, a large Ukrainian drone attack struck St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region overnight, hitting a local port and oil infrastructure.
An oil terminal was struck in Russia’s second city, although no casualties were reported. In a separate incident, a Ukrainian woman disguised as a man is suspected of being behind a bomb attack in Monaco that wounded three people, including a Ukrainian business tycoon. The attack is believed to have been targeted.
In Crimea, one person was killed and two others injured in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on key infrastructure targets in Crimea, seeking to isolate the peninsula and put pressure on the Kremlin. Western analysts say Ukraine’s increasing use of long-range strikes has highlighted its ability to inflict damage on Russia.
The conflict has also seen Ukraine strike several energy substations in Russian-occupied Crimea, causing a blackout across the entire region. The strikes are part of an ongoing attempt by Kyiv to hit military infrastructure deep within Russia and occupied territories, aimed at diminishing Moscow’s ability to continue waging its war. Mr Zelensky has also called a bluff on Russia’s claim of capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, calling it ‘another Russian lie’.
Ukraine’s military intelligence has released footage of a drone destroying a Russian fighter jet in Crimea, with the video showing the attack on the Belbek airfield. The footage was shared just hours after Ukraine took out power substations in Crimea, plunging the Russian-occupied peninsula into darkness. Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian oil and energy infrastructure have caused significant damage, with the latest strikes hitting the St Petersburg oil terminal and the Kronstadt Naval Base in Leningrad Oblast.
The drone attack is a significant blow, with the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal being one of the largest petroleum transhipment terminals in the Baltic region. Footage published shows fire and smoke at the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal after the Ukrainian drone attacks. The strikes may have reduced the Russian oil refining industry to over 40 per cent of its capacity, according to Ukraine’s military.
