Russian drones launched an overnight strike on Ukraine’s major port city of Odessa, local authorities said Tuesday. The strike came less than 24 hours after Moscow unilaterally declared an Orthodox Easter ceasefire that Ukraine viewed with suspicion ended. It also came a day before Ukrainian, British, French and US officials are set to meet in London to discuss the war in Ukraine.
More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, it remains unclear whether diplomatic efforts can halt the corrosive conflict. The two countries’ hostility deepened after Russia invaded and illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Diplomatic Initiatives and Different Approaches
Former US President Donald Trump claimed last week that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia had “reached a conclusion” and that neither side was “playing games” with him in his efforts to end the devastating war.
The statement comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the US could withdraw from the talks altogether if no progress was made. The US, Ukraine and European officials met in Paris after talks between them produced outlines for steps towards peace and some long-awaited progress. A new meeting expected in London on Wednesday could play a critical role in determining whether the Trump administration will continue to intervene in the process. Rubio said the talks in London could be decisive in this regard.
Russian Attacks in Odessa and Zaporizhzhia
Odessa came under “massive attack” by Russian drones overnight, injuring at least three people, the head of the Odessa regional administration, Oleh Kiper, said in a Telegram post on Tuesday. He noted that a residential building, civilian infrastructure and an educational facility were hit in a densely populated urban area.
On Tuesday, during the day, Russia hit the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia with two large air-launched bombs. The bombs were reportedly Soviet-made weapons that Russia has been using to devastate eastern Ukraine for months. A 69-year-old woman was killed and 22 people, including three children, were injured, Zaporizhzhia Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Kremlin's Statement on Negotiations and Ukraine's UAV Claim
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no plans to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal to halt attacks on civilian facilities. Peskov said Moscow was ready to consider such a step, but that reaching an agreement could take time. “When we talk about civilian infrastructure, it is necessary to clearly define when such facilities can be military targets and when they cannot,” Peskov said. “If a military meeting takes place there, is it a civilian facility? It is. But is it a military target? Yes, it is. There are some nuances that need to be discussed here,” he said.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched 54 Shahid drones and dummy drones into Ukraine overnight. The Air Force said the move was a sign of a renewed intensification of long-range attacks targeting civilian areas and wreaking havoc throughout the war. A recent analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies found that Russia has been increasing its use of Shahid drones in recent months, expanding its weapons production and improving its tactics.
Ceasefire Claims and Mutual Accusations
After Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a ceasefire on Saturday, Ukraine said it was ready to retaliate, but Russian attacks continued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia had violated the ceasefire more than 2.900 times. The Associated Press news agency could not independently verify whether a ceasefire had been declared along the roughly 1.000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline. Russia effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate 30-day halt to hostilities, citing sweeping conditions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Western officials say both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for major military operations in the spring and summer.
