The Kremlin has responded cautiously to U.S. nuclear-related statements, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasizing that “all parties must exercise prudence on this topic.” Peskov’s remarks, reported by Ria Novosti, followed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement about deploying two nuclear submarines closer to Russian territory. Peskov separately confirmed that contacts between Russian leadership and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff remain “important, significant, and very useful,” noting Witkoff is expected in Moscow midweek.
Military tensions escalated as Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles early Wednesday, according to regional military administration head Sergiy Tyurin. Ukrinform reported no casualties from the strike. A nationwide air alert lasted approximately 40 minutes before being lifted at 9:38 AM local time after Ukrainian air force detected hypersonic missiles entering its airspace following a Russian MiG-31K fighter jet takeoff.
Cross-border drone warfare intensified overnight. Russian air defenses intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions including Voronezh, Crimea, Belgorod, and Volgograd between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, per Russia’s Defense Ministry. In Volgograd, debris from downed drones caused a fire at Archeda railway station in Frolovo, shattering windows in nearby buildings but leaving passenger infrastructure intact. TASS reported resultant train delays and cancellations, with regional authorities working to restore service.
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov reiterated that a Putin-Zelensky summit remains impossible pending “necessary preparatory work at the expert level” to narrow differences. Meanwhile, Trump stated Witkoff would travel to Moscow this week and warned of sanctions if Russia disregards ceasefire terms, though he acknowledged Moscow’s skill in circumventing penalties.
In diplomatic friction, Russian Ambassador to Italy Alexei Paramonov accused Italian elites of harboring “particularly aggressive forms of Russophobia and Ukraine-philia.” In an interview with Izvestia, Paramonov declared Russia “cannot trust official Italian interlocutors at all,” criticizing Italy’s alignment with NATO, planned military spending increases to 5% of GDP, and what he termed deceptive assurances about limiting military involvement in Ukraine. He asserted Western nations, including Italy, have long misrepresented their positions, necessitating extreme distrust from Moscow.