Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s forces launch massive drone attack at Kyiv

A senior Russian politician has said that Moscow is yet to receive a good offer to start peace negotiations, despite claims by Donald Trump that talks were progressing.

Deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin told the RIA state news agency: “It is important that words be backed up by practical steps that take into account Russia’s legitimate interests, demonstrating a readiness to eradicate the root causes of the crisis and recognise the new realities.”

“Concrete proposals of this nature have not yet been received,” he added.

It comes after Trump spoke to Putin over the phone and claimed he was making progress on a way to end the nearly three-year-long conflict.

“I do believe we’re making progress. We want to stop the Ukraine-Russia war,” he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted a Russian invitation to attend the commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War, according to Russian state media.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation to take part in the celebrations on 9 May in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.”

At the end of last week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Donald Trump and the US a partnership over Ukraine’s stores of rare earth and minerals.

Earlier in the week week, Trump said he wanted Ukraine to supply the US with critical resources in exchange for financial support in its war with Russia.

In an interview with Reuters on Friday, Zelenskyy said: “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it.”

While emphasising that Kyiv was not proposing “giving away” its resources, he said he was open to a mutually beneficial partnership to develop them jointly.

Overnight Russian drone attacks sparked a fire in Kyiv and injured a woman and damaged several houses in the northeastern city of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The Ukrainian military said on Monday that it had shot down 61 out of 83 drones with 22 more likely downed by electronic warfare.

No injuries were reported in the attack that sparked a fire at a non-residential building in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

But a 38-year-old woman was hospitalised after Russia launched drones at Sumy, which is the administrative centre of the broader Sumy region, Ihor Kalchenko, governor of the region said on Telegram.

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Donald Trump to stop Vladimir Putin from invading his war-torn country ever again as part of any peace deal.

Zelensky said a frozen conflict along the 600-mile front would only lead to Russian aggression “again and again” and called for more security guarantees from the US and Europe.

It comes after Trump spoke to Putin over the phone and claimed he was making progress on a way to end the nearly three-year-long conflict.

“If I had an understanding that America and Europe will not abandon us and they will support us and provide security guarantees, I would be ready for any format for talks,” Zelensky said.

Trump is set to meet with Zelensky next week to discuss Washington’s peace proposal. “We have to get that war ended,” Trump said on Sunday.

Oleksandr Yarmak has not the slightest sympathy for Russians.

At 33, he is head of research and development in Ukraine’s drone warfare, devising ever more creative ways to make the most of the lethal technology.

He is also a chart-topping artist who has used his years fighting on the frontline turning his experiences into rap songs that have become national war chants.

His troops watch their Russian counterparts on Ukrainian military feeds bowing, waving, curling up in terror, and sometimes just standing still, in the final seconds before a drone hits them.

He said on Monday he wants “equalisation” from Ukraine for the US’ “close to $300 billion” in support.

“We’re telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths,” Mr Trump said. “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things.”

Below, we look at where these resources are in Ukraine, and why Kyiv has struggled to mine these minerals.