Ukraine-Russia war latest: At least 46 injured after Moscow hits Kharkiv with mass drone strike

Too many column inches have been wasted on inaccurate descriptions of the so-called minerals deal between the US and Ukraine. Much of the commentary was almost Trumpian in its hyperbole: “historic”, “momentous”, and a 180-degree change in America’s stances toward Ukraine… and therefore toward Russia as well.

Not so fast. Many have cheered that there was mention – an admission – of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the American side, and an apparent commitment to a future Ukraine that is, at least by implication, sovereign and independent, writes James Nixey

UK foreign secretary David Lammy has criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin for obstructing meaningful peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

“Putin has stalled and hampered discussions for long enough. The world is losing patience,” Lammy posted on X, adding that the US and UK remain committed to helping bring the conflict to an end.

A man was killed in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region after a fallen Russian drone detonated while he was trying to remove it from a home, regional authorities said.

The incident came just hours after a major Russian drone strike on the eastern city of Kharkiv injured at least 46 people, including an 11-year-old child, when residential buildings were hit and fires broke out.

Elsewhere, four people were injured in a combined drone and artillery strike by Russian forces on areas east of Nikopol in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk.

Russia has started building its first road bridge to North Korea across the Tumen River, signalling deepening ties with its reclusive ally.

The bridge will be the first to allow cars and other motor vehicles to cross between the two countries and represents a “significant milestone” in Russia–North Korea relations, Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Wednesday during a groundbreaking ceremony held via video conference.

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Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxer who is now mayor of Kyiv, ventured last month into hazardous political territory: he delicately suggested in an interview that Ukraine might need to cede land to end its battle against Russia.

After a flood of angry online comments, he walked back his comments, saying on Facebook that “territorial concessions contradict our national interests and we must fight against their implementation until the last”.

US President Donald Trump and his negotiators believe the only route to ending the Russian war in Ukraine is for Kyiv to acknowledge in some form that it is not getting back the Ukrainian land Moscow’s troops have taken since invading.

The United States will no longer act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, leaving it to the two nations to work out a path toward ending the war, a State Department official has said.

Tammy Bruce stated that US envoys would no longer travel across the globe “at the drop of a hat” to facilitate peace talks. The responsibility for proposing concrete solutions now lies with Russia and Ukraine, she said, though the US remains committed to supporting the process.

“We will not be the mediators,” Ms Bruce said, adding that the US is shifting its approach to how it engages with the conflict.

On Thursday, secretary of state Marco Rubio said that either there would need to be a breakthrough towards peace “very soon” or US president Donald Trump would have to decide how much time the US would dedicate to the conflict.

US vice president JD Vance said the war is “not going to end any time soon”.

“It’s going to be up to them (Ukraine and Russia) to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict. It’s not going anywhere. It’s not going to end anytime soon,” Mr Vance said in an interview with Fox News.

“Of course they (the Ukrainians) are angry that they were invaded, but are we going to continue to lose thousands and thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory this or that way? I hope both of them come to their senses.”

Mr Vance’s comments came shortly after Ukraine signed a mineral and profit-sharing deal with the US on Wednesday.

Russia launched a mass drone attack late yesterday in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, hitting a major high-rise apartment building which led to fires and 46 injured, officials said.

Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv mayor, said the strikes hit 12 locations across four central districts of the city. He added that an 11-year-old was among the injured and eight were under treatment in hospital.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, writing on Telegram: “There were no military targets, nor could there be any. Russia strikes dwellings when Ukrainians are in their homes, when they are putting their children to bed.”

“As the world delays decisions, almost every night in Ukraine turns into a horror that results in the loss of lives. Ukraine needs stronger air defences. Stronger and real decisions from our partners: the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace.”