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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Three people have been killed overnight by
Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials said Saturday,
as U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy met in Vatican City.
Two people died in a strike on the town of Yarova in Ukraine’s
eastern Donetsk region, local Gov. Vadym Filashkin said in a
post on social media. Another person died in the Dnipropetrovsk
region, said Gov Serhiy Lysak. Six people were injured,
including an 88-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl, he said.
The attacks came hours before the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders met
in Vatican City on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis.
The presidents met at St. Peter’s Basilica for about 15 minutes
and agreed to continue negotiations later on Saturday, Ukrainian
presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also confirmed
the meeting and said they “met privately today and had a very
productive discussion.”
Shortly after arriving in Rome last Friday, Trump said on social
media that Ukraine and Russia should meet for “very high-level
talks” on ending the three-year war sparked by Russia’s
invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President
Vladimir Putin earlier Friday, and Trump said both sides were
“very close to a deal.”
Meanwhile, in a statement Friday night, Zelenskyy said that
“very significant meetings may take place” in coming days, and
that an unconditional ceasefire was needed.
“Real pressure on Russia is needed so that they accept either
the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or
our proposal — whichever one can truly work and ensure a
reliable, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and then — a
dignified peace and security guarantees,” he said.
“Diplomacy must succeed. And we are doing everything to make
diplomacy truly meaningful and finally effective.”
Russia launched three missiles and 114 drones over Ukraine
overnight, Ukraine’s air force wrote in a statement Saturday.
Sixty-six drones were destroyed and a further 31 decoy drones
failed to reach their destination.
Meanwhile, Russian air defenses shot down 45 Ukrainian drones
overnight, the country’s defense ministry said.
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