US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about ending the war in Ukraine hours before a massive Russian drone attack hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, leaving at least three people injured.
The attack came as peace talks between Russia and the US are set to resume on Monday in Saudi Arabia. Delegations from both countries will attend the meetings, along with a team from Ukraine, in an effort to reach a partial ceasefire.
Earlier, Trump held phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss implementing a ceasefire. However, just hours later, Russia launched the drone attack on Odesa, hitting civilian targets including a high-rise residential building and a shopping center.
The attack also wounded at least five others near the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Nearly 200 drones hit the Kirovohrad region in central Ukraine overnight, wounding 10 people, including four children.
Zelensky said Russia’s strikes do not stop despite their claims, and that nearly a hundred or more drones are launched daily along with ongoing missile attacks.
In recent days, Ukraine and Russia have exchanged aerial assaults since the Kremlin agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets. However, the US seeks a broader ceasefire, and Ukrainian officials say they are “unconditionally agrees” to a ceasefire but are waiting for the aggressor to agree.
The meetings in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Monday will focus on hammering out specific language on the deal reached by Trump and Putin, as well as other areas of negotiation toward a full ceasefire.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/21/europe/ukraine-russia-odesa-fire-trump-intl-hnk/index.html