Russian strikes kill pregnant woman in Kharkiv as peace efforts continue

Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region killed a pregnant woman and two other people, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, as renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war continued.

The strikes follow major Russian air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, while Kyiv has stepped up long-range drone strikes on Russian oil facilities, contributing to fuel shortages in Crimea and other areas.

Late on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a "positive" telephone conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He welcomed their willingness to work actively towards a settlement of the war in the coming weeks.

Zelenskyy last week published an open letter to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, proposing face-to-face talks on ending the war, now in its fifth year. The proposal was quickly rebuffed by Putin.

"There are different people around Putin. Half of them want to continue this war and the other half want to stop it," Zelenskyy said in an interview with The Guardian that he posted on X.

Putin said last week at an annual business forum in St Petersburg that although Ukrainian attacks had caused damage, there was no threat to Russia's economy.

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

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An overnight missile attack on the town of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region killed three people, including a 22-year-old pregnant woman, regional prosecutors said on Telegram.

The attack damaged residential buildings, garages and shops, they said, adding that six more people were injured.

In the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest, a Russian drone attack left 16 people seeking medical assistance, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Officials posted photographs showing a building engulfed in flames, firefighters battling the blaze and burnt-out cars.

In Sevastopol, in Russian-annexed Crimea and home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, air defence systems were repelling a drone attack, the Russian-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Cautious steps towards peace talks

U.S.-led peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia have stalled as Washington focuses on finding a solution to the war involving Iran.

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

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

Zelenskyy noted on Sunday that he had met Roman Abramovich in Kyiv and that the Russian businessman had offered to take a message to the Kremlin regarding peace prospects.

Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not give up its territory.

A Ukrainian official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that Zelenskyy published his open letter to Putin after receiving no response to a message sent via Abramovich.

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Russia Ukraine war Kharkiv Region Chuhuiv attack Ukraine strikes peace negotiations Kyiv Volodymyr Zelenskyy Vladimir Putin