Kristina Roberts
Just hours after Vladimir Putin agreed to a limited ceasefire during a call with Donald Trump, Ukraine faced fresh attacks from Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities reported overnight strikes involving kamikaze drones and S-300 missiles, contradicting Moscow’s pledge to suspend assaults on energy and infrastructure targets.
The call between Trump and Putin, which lasted over two hours, resulted in an agreement to halt attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure. However, Putin rejected Trump’s request for a broader 30-day ceasefire—something Ukraine had already accepted in negotiations last week in Jeddah.
Yet, as soon as the conversation ended, air raid sirens blared across Kyiv. Ukrainian officials reported that 45 drones targeted areas around the capital, with anti-aircraft fire echoing through the night. Residential homes and vehicles sustained damage in Bucha, and two civilians were injured. In Sumy, a drone strike on a hospital forced the evacuation of over 100 patients, while a separate attack in a nearby village claimed a civilian life.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the attacks, stating on Telegram, “In many regions, we can hear exactly what Russia wants.” Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its own drone strikes on Russian territory, reportedly hitting an oil depot in Krasnodar. The Russian defense ministry claimed it intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones, mainly in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces recently retreated from occupied territory.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News that negotiations would formally begin in Jeddah on Sunday. “There are details to work out, but we’re moving toward a full ceasefire,” he stated, describing the call as “two great leaders coming together for the betterment of mankind.”
On Truth Social, Trump called the conversation with Putin “very good and productive,” claiming they had agreed to “an immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure,” with the goal of achieving a complete end to the war.
However, skepticism remains over Russia’s commitment. While the Kremlin confirmed Putin had ordered a suspension of attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, it tied any broader ceasefire to the cessation of Western military aid to Kyiv. Moscow’s statement emphasized that “preventing escalation” required stopping all foreign intelligence and weapons support to Ukraine.
Trump, in a Fox News interview, denied discussing aid with Putin, contradicting the Kremlin’s stance. “No, we didn’t talk about aid at all,” he insisted.
Ukraine had originally pushed for a ceasefire covering air and sea operations, but under U.S. pressure, Kyiv agreed to a broader 30-day ceasefire proposal. Now, Zelenskyy is awaiting further clarification from Washington before responding to the new, more limited agreement. Speaking from Finland, he stated, “We will have a conversation with President Trump and learn exactly what was discussed between the U.S. and Russia before giving our response.”
If implemented, the halt on energy infrastructure strikes would mark the first official ceasefire since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. However, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure for years, and Ukraine has increasingly retaliated with long-range drone strikes deep into Russian territory.
In his first public comments since the call, Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that a ceasefire alone would not be enough to resolve the conflict. “Right now, you have a lot of guns pointing at each other, and a ceasefire without going further would be tough. Russia has the advantage—they’ve encircled about 2,500 soldiers,” he claimed, echoing a statement made earlier by Putin. However, independent analysts and Ukrainian officials have found no evidence of mass troop encirclements during recent battles.
In Moscow, senior Russian figures appeared pleased with the outcome of the talks. Kirill Dmitriev, a close aide to Putin, posted on X: “It is official now – a PERFECT call.”
With continued hostilities on the ground, the effectiveness of this limited ceasefire remains highly uncertain.
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