Explosions have rocked Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, leaving six injured on Wednesday.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city was under attack from Russian ballistic missiles, in a post on Telegram.
Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he was willing in principle to resume talks with Ukraine and the US next month, but would want to focus on security guarantees for Russia after the conflict ends, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Speaking to journalists on WhatsApp, Volodymyr Zelensky said that trilateral discussions could be held in November.
“We have received feedback that...Russia supports a trilateral meeting at the level of our (negotiating) teams,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s special envoy told Putin he was a “humanitarian” as they met in St Petersburg to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, hours after Russian drones killed two elderly residents and injured children in Kharkiv.
“You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian,” envoy Steve Witkoff told the Russian president on Wednesday. “You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that, I commend you, and I thank you again.”
Russia frees American Stephen Hubbard after over 4 years behind bars
Russia on Wednesday freed an American who had been jailed for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine, a deal completed during a visit by a top US envoy and at a time when president Donald Trump has taken a series of actions meant to benefit Moscow.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he had asked Russian president Vladimir Putin during a recent call to free Stephen Hubbard and that, unlike previous releases, the US did not have to give up anyone in return.
“He is the happiest man around,” Trump said of Hubbard, describing the 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan as a “very high-quality, innocent man”.
Hubbard’s legal team denied the Russian accusations, saying he was not involved in any military activity.
The release occurred during a visit to St Petersburg by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who in a face-to-face interaction with Putin praised the Russian leader as a “humanitarian” as the men held talks about Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and as Trump simultaneously pushes Kyiv to make a deal that stops the fighting.
Kremlin says peace proposals lack ‘substance’
The Kremlin has cast doubt on the peace proposals to end the war in Ukraine, saying proposals put forward by Kyiv and European leaders lack “substance”.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian president Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday after holding talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow was “in principle, ready to resume” trilateral talks in mid-November, but added that “there wasn’t really much substance in them”.
US president Donald Trump said the negotiations were “the closest we’ve been” to ending the war, while Zelensky backed an early resumption of three-way talks.
Witkoff described his meeting with Putin as “constructive”, but said “there is still important work left to do”.
Trump hails Putin for releasing US citizen Stephen Hubbard
Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social to celebrate Vladimir Putin’s decision to release Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen who was formally designated as wrongfully detained in Russia for four years.
“Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family. The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return – an unprecedented situation for Russia,” the post read.
Hubbard’s release comes after a number of US concessions towards Russia in recent weeks, including a deal signed by Trump to obtain diesel from Moscow.
Nonetheless, Trump claimed that “there was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release”.
“Welcome home Stephen, it’s great to have you back,” the statement quoted Trump as saying.
Kremlin says journalists from 'unfriendly' countries to be allowed to attend Putin's annual presser
Journalists from countries Russia considers “unfriendly” will be allowed to attend president Vladimir Putin’s annual year-end press conference in December, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“They will attend. Yes, [we will invite them] – as we always do,” Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS when asked whether media outlets from countries deemed unfriendly by Moscow would be invited.
The annual press conference will once again be combined with Putin’s “Direct Line” call-in show, during which he answers questions from Russian citizens.
The combined event, known as “Direct Line with Vladimir Putin: Year in Review”, will be held for the fifth time this year. The format was first introduced in 2020 during the Covid pandemic and revived in 2023.
Russia designates countries including the US, UK and EU member states as “unfriendly”, largely in response to sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
The exact date for the press conference has not been announced yet
Starlink access in Ukraine a decision for Musk, not White House, Rubio says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that decisions regarding Ukraine's access to Starlink were up to its parent company SpaceX and Elon Musk, not the White House.
"I'm not aware that we knew about this decision beforehand. But that's irrelevant," Rubio told reporters during a trip to India on Wednesday.
Six injured as Kyiv rocked by explosions
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city was under attack from Russian ballistic missiles, in a post on Telegram.
Four people are being treated in hospital.
Russian Su-30 fighter jet crashes in Kaliningrad region
A Russian Su-30 fighter jet has crashed in the Kaliningrad region, Russian agency Interfax reported on Wednesday, citing the defence ministry.
It quoted the ministry as saying the crash occurred during a training flight, but did not specify the cause. The crew ejected and there were no casualties, the ministry said.
Watch: Trump says Ukraine has to want to settle war
Top story: Elon Musk reportedly ordered slowing down of Starlink access for Ukrainian army
Elon Musk was responsible for the slowdown of Starlink which restricted the Ukrainian army’s ability to carry out attacks against Russia last week, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
The satellite terminals are crucial for Kyiv to carry out long-range drone strikes that have disrupted Russian logistics.
Citing US officials and people familiar with the matter, the WSJ said that Musk and Donald Trump had discussed the decision in a phone call after the outage became public. The matter was also discussed prior to the decision to restrict Starlink, according to theWSJ.
Ukrainian soldier ‘cut off own leg’ before miracle evacuation by drone
The injured soldier airlifted from Ukraine’s frontline by drone cut off his own frostbitten leg in a desperate bid to survive, having spent more than a year alone in the kill zone before his dramatic rescue, according to reports.
The rescue mission this month was the product of more than six months of preparation, coordinating helicopters, electronic warfare and artillery with the drone team on the ground, according to Ukrainian outlet Oboronka.
“The flight was calm, I mostly looked around the area,” the soldier told the outlet after his heroic rescue. “And when I landed, I felt safe and relieved - I would finally see my family soon. A special thank you to my clerk with the call sign ‘Lefty’ for spoiling me with goodies.”
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