Additional Coverage:
Odesa Suffers Deadly Strike Amidst U.S. Peace Efforts; Ukraine Retaliates with Oil Rig Attack
Odesa, Ukraine – A Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa has resulted in eight fatalities and 27 injuries, Ukraine’s emergency service reported Saturday. This attack comes as a Kremlin envoy prepares to travel to Florida for discussions on a U.S.-proposed peace plan aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict.
These talks are part of the Trump administration’s ongoing diplomatic push for peace, which included earlier meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin. Ukraine’s chief negotiator confirmed Friday that his delegation had concluded separate discussions with American and European partners in the U.S.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the critical role of the U.S. response following its consultations with Russia. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, Zelenskyy stated, “The key question remains how the United States responds after consultations with the Russians. At this point, I honestly don’t know, but I will know later today.”
During the conference, Ukraine and Portugal formalized an agreement for the joint production of maritime drones. Zelenskyy highlighted this as a promising area of defense cooperation, underscoring the necessity for all European nations to possess sufficient capabilities to counter emerging threats.
Ukrainian Forces Target Russian Oil Rig and Patrol Ship
The Odesa strike, which occurred late Friday, injured several individuals who were on a bus near the impact zone, according to the emergency service. The attack also caused fires in a parking lot and damaged numerous vehicles. Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa region, confirmed that ballistic missiles were used in the port attack.
Moscow has yet to officially acknowledge the Odesa attack. However, the Russian Defense Ministry stated Saturday that it had struck unspecified “transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces,” along with energy facilities and those supporting Kyiv’s war effort.
In a retaliatory move, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted a Russian oil rig, the military patrol ship Okhotnik, and other facilities, Ukraine’s General Staff announced Saturday. The patrol ship was reportedly operating in the Caspian Sea near an oil and gas production platform. The extent of the damage to the vessel is still being assessed.
The Filanovsky oil and gas field’s drilling platform, operated by Russian oil giant Lukoil, was also hit. Additionally, Ukrainian drones struck a radar system in the Krasnosilske area of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Neither the Russian government nor Lukoil has issued an immediate statement regarding these attacks. Lukoil, alongside state-owned Gazprom, is one of two Russian oil majors recently subjected to U.S. sanctions aimed at reducing Moscow’s oil export revenue that helps sustain the war. Kyiv has consistently justified its long-range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure by arguing that it both finances and directly fuels the Kremlin’s invasion, which is soon to enter its fifth year.
Trump’s Peace Initiative Continues Amidst Conflicting Demands
U.S. President Donald Trump’s extensive diplomatic efforts to end the conflict face significant challenges due to the starkly conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently reiterated his maximalist demands on Ukraine, even as Russian forces make incremental gains on the battlefield despite heavy losses. On Friday, Putin expressed confidence that the Kremlin would achieve its military objectives if Kyiv fails to agree to Russia’s conditions in peace talks.
Meanwhile, European Union leaders on Friday approved $106 billion in aid for Ukraine to address its military and economic needs over the next two years. Although they were unable to resolve disagreements with Belgium that would have allowed them to utilize frozen Russian assets for funding, the funds were instead secured through capital markets. With the Ukrainian government facing potential bankruptcy, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine will require $161 billion in 2026 and 2027, with urgent needs by spring.
In a key development, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, is scheduled to meet with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami on Saturday. This information was provided by a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official indicated that Witkoff and Kushner will engage with Dmitriev following their meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Berlin, where discussions centered on U.S. security guarantees for Kyiv, territorial concessions, and other aspects of the American-authored peace plan.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, confirmed late Friday that a Ukrainian delegation had met with American and European partners in the U.S., stating they agreed to continue “joint work in the near future,” though he provided few additional details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the Miami meeting on Thursday, stated that Moscow was preparing for contacts with the U.S. to ascertain the outcomes of the Berlin meetings, but he did not offer further specifics.