A Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has resulted in the deaths of four people and injured 40, according to authorities. Unconfirmed reports indicate that a ballistic missile was used in the strike, which occurred on Monday morning. Videos shared online captured a large explosion on the side of a motorway, while local media reported that an office building, cars, and shops were either hit or severely damaged.
Dnipro, located approximately 100 km (62 miles) from the front line, has frequently been targeted by Russian forces since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The attack took place just one day before U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Witkoff has met with the Russian president several times this year but has never visited Kyiv. On Sunday, a Ukrainian delegation met with Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Florida.
President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Monday that the talks had been "very constructive," though he acknowledged that some "tough issues" needed to be resolved. Rubio echoed this sentiment, calling the meeting "productive" but adding that "more work remains."
This meeting in Florida represented the latest step in weeks of intense "shuttle diplomacy," during which Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately engaged with U.S. officials to discuss a peace plan. However, despite these efforts, significant differences still exist between Moscow and Kyiv's positions.
Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the areas of the Donbas region that it still controls, which Kyiv asserts it will never do. "If they don't withdraw, we'll achieve this by force," Putin stated. In response, Zelensky criticized Russia for ignoring attempts to "truly end the war."
Security matters concerning Ukraine's future are also contentious. Kyiv and its European allies are seeking security guarantees—such as NATO membership—that would protect Ukraine from future attacks. Russia strongly opposes this, and Trump has also ruled out Ukraine's accession to the military alliance.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has arrived in Paris to seek support from French President Emmanuel Macron and will travel to Ireland on Tuesday. In recent weeks, concerns have grown in Kyiv and among European nations that the U.S. is becoming more accommodating to Russia’s demands than to Ukraine’s, with fears that Europe is being excluded from the negotiating process.
Zelensky is also facing political challenges at home due to a corruption scandal. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who led the Ukrainian delegation in peace talks, resigned on Friday after anti-corruption investigators raided his home. However, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Additionally, two cabinet ministers have been dismissed.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that Ukraine is dealing with "some difficult little problems," alluding to the scandal, and he reiterated his belief that both Russia and Ukraine desire to end the conflict.
Since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers and countless civilians have been killed or injured, leading to at least seven million people becoming refugees. The conflict between these two former Soviet states dates back to 2014, when Ukraine's pro-Russian president was ousted, prompting Russia to annex Crimea and support armed uprisings in eastern Ukraine.
