Zelenskyy ready to hold Ukraine-Russia talks in Azerbaijan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his nation is prepared to engage in discussions with Russia during his current visit to Azerbaijan. The meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev followed a series of strategic engagements, including a meeting with a Ukrainian delegation focused on aerial defense techniques against Russian drone and missile threats.

Zelenskyy’s arrival in Azerbaijan began with a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The country’s ongoing diplomatic efforts include signing agreements on defense and energy cooperation, with Azerbaijan serving as a key venue for negotiations. This development comes amid continued hostilities in Ukraine, where recent strikes have intensified.

Violence Across Ukraine

Russian strikes resulted in multiple casualties throughout Ukraine, with reports indicating at least four fatalities and 27 injuries in the city of Dnipro. Regional administrator Oleksandr Ganzha noted that the victims were found in the remnants of a house destroyed during overnight attacks. “The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Ganzha wrote on Telegram.

Additional attacks targeted Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions. In Zaporizhzhia, a civilian minibus was struck by a drone, causing one death and four injuries, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov. Meanwhile, Odesa saw damage to residential buildings and port infrastructure, with two individuals wounded in the south of the region.

Drone Incident in Romania

During an assault on Ukraine’s Odesa region, a Russian drone landed in nearby Romania. The craft crashed in a residential area of Galați, close to the Danube River which separates the two countries. This marks the first time debris from Russian drones has caused physical damage on Romanian soil, according to local media reports.

Emergency services reported that the drone struck a populated area with an explosive charge, though no casualties were reported. The incident led to the temporary shutdown of gas supplies in the region as a precaution. Foreign Minister Oana Toiu has since summoned the Russian ambassador in response to the event.