By Voice of America (Europe) | Created at 2025-03-08 22:56:35 | Updated at 2025-03-09 13:23:27
15 hours ago
KYIV, UKRAINE —
Russia said Saturday its troops had retaken three villages seized by Ukraine in its Kursk border region, in a fresh setback for Kyiv ahead of talks to try to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday named a high-level delegation including ministers to meet U.S. negotiators in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, seeking to repair ties with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday that Washington wanted to discuss a "framework for a peace agreement."
"We hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskyy said, stressing that Ukraine was "fully committed to constructive dialogue."
But he condemned the "brutal" deadly strikes on eastern Ukraine, saying they proved that Russia was "not thinking about how to end the war."
Trump on Friday threatened new sanctions and tariffs against Russia over its bombardment of Ukraine.
The three-year-long war is now at a critical juncture for Kyiv after Trump suspended U.S. military aid following his public falling-out with Zelenskyy last week.
Ukraine still controls some 400-square kilometers in the Kursk region after launching an offensive last August. Zelenskyy sees this as a possible bargaining chip in peace talks.
But Ukraine's troops in Kursk have seen their position worsen in recent weeks with Russia's army pushing back.
Russia claims gains
Russia's defense ministry announced Saturday the recapture of three more villages: Viktorovka, Nikolaevka and Staraya Sorochina.
According to DeepState, an online military tracker linked to the Ukrainian army, the Russian move followed a "breach" in the Ukrainian defense lines near the town of Sudzha, which is under Kyiv's control.
The advance appears to have cut off the logistics route needed by Ukraine to supply its troops, although Kyiv has not confirmed this.
Russia has already taken back some two-thirds of the territory in Kursk initially seized by Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military General Staff said Saturday that clashes were ongoing amid heavy bombardment with artillery and guided aerial bombs.
Small groups of Russian troops have also mounted attacks in recent weeks into Ukraine's Sumy region bordering Kursk.
But Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation denied reports Saturday of a "massive breakthrough," saying its forces were destroying small groups trying to cross.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Full peace negotiations remain a distant prospect, with Kyiv and Moscow making starkly opposed demands. Trump has made settling the conflict a priority since his return to the White House.
But by reaching out to Russian President Vladimir Putin while criticizing Zelenskyy, he has raised fears in Kyiv — and among its European allies — that Trump may try to force Ukraine to accept a settlement that favors Russia.
Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet for talks on the war in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Zelenskyy also will visit Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
For the U.S., Witkoff has said he wants to discuss an "initial ceasefire" with Russia and a "framework" for a longer agreement.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be represented by officials including foreign minister Andriy Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
In his evening address, he told Ukrainians he was "confident that the meeting will be productive."
Zelenskyy also urged allies to "increase sanctions against Russia" after heavy overnight bombardment in the east and northeast.
A Russian barrage hit the center of Dobropillya in the eastern Donetsk region late Friday, killing 11 people and wounding 40, according to the emergency services.
"Russia is proving literally every day with its cruelty that nothing has changed for them," Zelenskyy said.
He accused Moscow of wanting to "destroy and capture more as long as the world allows them to wage this war."
On Saturday, a strike on the embattled city of Pokrovsk killed a man in his 40s and wounded 2 others, and at least 10 people were killed in multiple strikes on Ukraine's embattled eastern Donetsk region, the Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin said. He added that seven others were killed in multiple drone and missile strikes in towns close to the front lines.
Three people died when a Russian drone hit a workshop in the northeastern Kharkiv region, the head of its military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said. And one additional man was killed by shelling in the region.
More bombs
The latest strikes came after EU leaders, shaken by the prospect of U.S. disengagement, agreed to boost the bloc's defenses.
Putin "has no interest in peace," the European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Saturday, reacting to the latest attacks.
"We must step up our military support — otherwise, even more Ukrainian civilians will pay the highest price," she added.
Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukrainian and British diplomats had held "highly productive" talks in Kyiv.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the latest Russian attacks were "what happens when someone appeases barbarians," resulting in "more bombs, more aggression."
