Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 4 as Zelenskyy gains support for ceasefire talks

Four people have been killed and more than 20 injured after Russia hit Ukraine's Kharkiv region with missiles and drones, according to officials on Tuesday, while Russia-annexed Crimea said it was repelling drone attacks.

The strikes follow large attacks by Russia and Ukraine on each other in recent weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for an end to the war last week and proposed direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia, with active US and European participation.

The latest attacks came as Zelenskyy was returning to Kyiv from talks in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany who said they were ready to support ceasefire talks.

Zelenskyy also said he had had a "positive" conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, praising what he called their readiness to work on a settlement of the war in the coming weeks.

The latest strikes on Ukraine resulted in the deaths of two men, one 70 and the other 56, as well as two women, a 22-year-old and a 70-year-old in the town of Chuhuiv in northeastern Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram, posting a photo of a destroyed apartment building on fire.

He also noted that an overnight drone attack on the regional capital of Kharkiv had caused 15 people, including three children, to seek medical assistance.

A separate post from Chuhuiv's mayor, Galina Minaeva, said six people in the town were injured.

In Sevastopol in Russia-annexed Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea naval fleet, defense systems were repelling a drone attack, the local Russian-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Over the past month, Russia has hit Ukraine with Oreshnik missiles, while Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Moscow and Kyiv have both said gaining battlefield advantages assists their diplomatic efforts.

CAUTIOUS STEPS TO RESUME PEACE TALKS

US-led peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia have largely stalled as Washington is focused on finding a solution to the Iran war.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials continue to discuss a possible visit to Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner, potentially in the coming weeks, a source familiar with the matter said. It would be the first official visit to Ukraine for the two envoys, who have previously travelled to Moscow for talks with Russia.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also told the UN Security Council on Monday that Nordic countries supported Zelenskyy's proposal for an immediate ceasefire and direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In London, Zelenskyy told UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about his country's need for additional missiles for air defence systems.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin was quoted as saying on Tuesday that the NATO countries were increasing their presence in areas close to Russia and Belarus.

"We remain in a constant state of readiness to employ all means, including nuclear ones, to ensure the security of the Union State," he told the Izvestia newspaper, referring to a political, security and economic alliance between Russia and Belarus.