US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived at the Kremlin for talks with President Vladimir Putin amid reports Moscow is considering offering concessions to Washington, potentially including an air truce with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported citing sources close to Moscow.
Witkoff, President Trump’s lead for “peace missions,” was met at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport by Russian presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, TASS reported. His meetings with Russian leaders come days before the expiry of Trump’s ultimatum for Moscow to halt its offensive in Ukraine. While Witkoff has met Putin multiple times previously, these talks have not altered Russia’s course in the war.
US-Russia tensions escalated sharply last week after Trump deployed two nuclear submarines following an online spat with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump granted Russia a 10-day deadline, expiring Friday, to cease its offensive or face new sanctions, specifically threatening “secondary tariffs” on nations like China and India continuing to trade with Moscow. “We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow: we’ll see what happens, we’ll make that decision then,” Trump stated Tuesday.
Zaporizhzhia Attack Kills Civilians**
A Russian aerial attack struck the Zaporizhzhia district in southeastern Ukraine early Wednesday, killing two people and wounding twelve others, including four children, regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov announced via Telegram. Local media confirmed the strike occurred around 5:55 AM local time.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported the attack hit a recreational center. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike on a “regular recreation center” as militarily nonsensical, calling it “sheer cruelty aimed at intimidation.” He confirmed the casualties and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
Zelensky also reported overnight attacks targeting power grids in the Dnipropetrovsk region, a drone strike on civilians in Kherson, and an attack on a gas station in Odesa’s Novosilsk, leaving hundreds without gas. He described the energy sector strikes as “absolutely cynical,” deliberately targeting winter preparedness. Private homes were also hit in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
Infrastructure Damage and Sanctions Threat**
Approximately 2,500 people lost gas access after Russian drone strikes damaged gas infrastructure and a main pipeline in Odesa region, Sky News reported. Governor Oleh Kiper stated the attack caused a fire, necessitating temporary disconnections.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports the Trump administration is considering sanctions against Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers if Putin rejects a Ukraine ceasefire by Friday. Targeting these vessels, used by Moscow to circumvent Western oil restrictions and fund its war, would mark the first US sanctions against Russia since Trump returned to office in January.
Sources view shadow fleet sanctions as a low-risk initial step to impose costs. A third source confirmed options under review include fleet sanctions. While the Biden administration sanctioned 213 cargo ships, Trump has held off on further measures seeking a negotiated end to the war. The ‘shadow fleet’ comprises vessels with obscured ownership avoiding Western services, making owner sanctions difficult, though recent measures targeting the ships themselves have proven effective, the FT notes.