Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, said the strike occurred in the northern part of the peninsula. He reported that one person was killed and two others were wounded, including one who was in serious condition, but did not provide further details about the nature of the attack.

The latest strike follows an increase in Ukrainian attacks targeting infrastructure in Crimea, reflecting Kyiv’s effort to disrupt Russian military logistics and isolate the strategically important Black Sea peninsula.

Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and subsequently annexed the territory, a move rejected by Ukraine and widely regarded as illegal by much of the international community. Western officials and analysts say Ukraine’s growing use of long-range strikes has increased pressure on Moscow even as Russian battlefield advances have slowed in recent months.

The attack came hours after Zelensky and Putin separately spoke by telephone with Trump about prospects for ending the conflict.

In a message posted on X late Saturday, Zelensky said he had called Trump to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. He said the two leaders discussed developments along the front line and agreed to continue their discussions in person during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

Zelensky said there remained a genuine opportunity to end the war and described continued U.S. engagement as an important factor in achieving that objective.

The Kremlin separately described Putin’s conversation with Trump as constructive. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the call lasted nearly 90 minutes and marked the fourth conversation between the two leaders this year.

According to Ushakov, Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the anniversary of U.S. independence. He said Trump reiterated his willingness to support a rapid end to hostilities and pursue a peaceful settlement, while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue mediation efforts and remained prepared to visit Moscow.

Ushakov said Putin again stressed that Russia favors a diplomatic resolution provided that what he described as Moscow’s fundamental positions are taken into account.

The Russian president also accused Ukraine and its European allies of seeking to prolong and intensify the conflict, according to Ushakov, arguing that European governments had misjudged the military situation.

Ushakov further said Putin told Trump that Russian forces continued to make gains along the front and cited the capture of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka as an important step toward securing the entire Donetsk region.

Ukraine denied Russia’s claim that Kostyantynivka had been captured.

The latest diplomatic contacts highlighted renewed international efforts to explore a negotiated settlement even as fighting continues across multiple fronts and both sides maintain sharply differing positions on the conditions for ending Europe’s largest armed conflict since World War II.

President Donald Trump announced in a social media post that Iran had requested the meeting, saying it would take place in the Qatari capital without providing further details.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner would attend the discussions, while technical-level negotiations would continue on the sidelines.

“Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks will be the technical talks,” Leavitt told Fox News.

Washington and Tehran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending four months of conflict. The agreement included commitments to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.

The agreement has come under pressure following exchanges of strikes over the weekend after an Iranian projectile struck a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the interim ceasefire.

Leavitt said the United States remained committed to the agreement while warning that any further attacks would draw a response.

“There were attacks on commercial vessels that the United States of America, directed by the president, responded to, and that will continue to happen, but we hope we don’t see that. The president obviously wants to see the peace process play out,” she said.

The Doha meeting is expected to focus on implementing the memorandum of understanding and reducing tensions after the recent maritime incidents threatened to undermine the diplomatic process.

Speaking in an interview published by the Kremlin, Putin said Moscow anticipated the return of US officials who had previously held multiple rounds of talks in the Russian capital.

“We expect that after all the events are over, after the active phase on the Iranian track has passed, we will see the arrival of those representatives of the US administration with whom we have already met in Moscow repeatedly,” Putin said.

“We are ready to continue negotiations and discuss all the details,” he added.

Putin made the remarks while responding to a question on the state of Russia-US relations following the Group of Seven summit in France, where US President Donald Trump urged Moscow to “make a deal with Ukraine.”

The comments suggest that the Kremlin believes Washington’s diplomatic focus on the Middle East has temporarily delayed broader engagement with Russia, including discussions on the war in Ukraine and other bilateral issues.

Trump has recently adopted a more optimistic tone regarding Ukraine’s military position. On Wednesday, he said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was performing well in the conflict, despite previously arguing that Kyiv lacked the necessary leverage to secure victory against Russia.

No timetable was provided for the proposed negotiations, and neither Moscow nor Washington announced the agenda or composition of any future delegation.

Russia and the United States have maintained intermittent diplomatic contacts despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine, with both sides periodically indicating willingness to pursue dialogue on issues of mutual interest while fundamental disagreements remain unresolved.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States was increasingly acting as a party to the conflict rather than an impartial broker, following recent commitments by Group of Seven leaders to intensify economic pressure on Russia and expand support for Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

“As for the United States, judging by their actions, they appear to be abandoning any claim to the role of an objective mediator and are instead pursuing a course of escalating sanctions pressure on Russia,” Lavrov told foreign diplomats in Moscow.

The remarks come as U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to secure a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine remain largely at a standstill. President Donald Trump, who returned to office in 2025 after pledging to swiftly end the conflict, has sought to encourage direct engagement between the two sides. However, negotiations have produced little tangible progress amid deep disagreements over territorial and security issues.

During a summit in France earlier this month, G7 leaders endorsed a joint statement reaffirming support for Ukraine and calling for stronger measures against Russia’s wartime economy. The communiqué included commitments to increase deliveries of air-defense equipment to Kyiv and tighten sanctions targeting Russian revenue streams, particularly in the energy sector.

Lavrov also criticized European governments for expanding military assistance to Ukraine, arguing that the continent was contributing to instability rather than promoting a diplomatic resolution.

“Europe is once again becoming a major threat to international peace and security,” Lavrov said, referring to ongoing military support provided by European allies to Kyiv.

The conflict, now in its fifth year, began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and remains Europe’s deadliest war since World War Two.

A central obstacle to negotiations remains Moscow’s demand that Ukraine withdraw its forces from parts of the eastern Donbas region still under Kyiv’s control as a prerequisite for broader peace talks. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly rejected the proposal, arguing that territorial concessions would encourage further Russian demands and undermine the country’s sovereignty.

With both sides maintaining positions that remain far apart, prospects for a breakthrough in negotiations appear limited despite continued diplomatic contacts and international mediation efforts.

Trump’s call with Putin lasted nearly an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who said the US president emphasized the need to end hostilities and was prepared to encourage European allies and Kyiv toward that goal.

Ushakov said Putin argued that Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would not alter the battlefield situation and said that if Zelensky wanted to meet, he should travel to Moscow.

The discussions also included Iran, with Trump saying an agreement with Tehran was close and that details could soon be made public, Ushakov said.

Zelensky said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Trump and thanked him for supporting Ukraine. He said the two leaders discussed steps that could help move toward peace and agreed to continue discussions during the G7 summit.

The diplomatic contacts came as fighting continued. Ukrainian drone attacks killed two people in Russia’s Oryol and Bryansk regions, according to local authorities. A separate drone strike hit fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, causing fires.

Zelensky said the Yaroslavl strike targeted an oil facility important to Russia’s reserves. Ukraine has increased attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that the sector supports Moscow’s war effort.

The calls took place as Trump prepared to travel to France for the G7 summit, where Ukraine is expected to be a major issue. Zelensky is scheduled to join discussions with world leaders.

The conflict has remained a challenge for Trump, who previously said he could end the war quickly but has since shifted focus toward broader diplomatic efforts.

Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom detained a tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” vessels accused of helping evade sanctions linked to the war.

British forces boarded the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel in cooperation with French authorities. Starmer said the operation was aimed at increasing pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The statement came after Israel said it had carried out strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, further complicating efforts to end the wider Middle East conflict.

Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strikes showed that the United States either lacked the willingness or ability to implement its commitments.

“If you do not have the will or the ability to fulfil your commitments, then there is no point in talking about continuing down this path,” Ghalibaf said in a statement on social media.

Trump had previously said an agreement with Iran was expected to be signed soon and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after the deal. Iran, however, has given a less certain timeline.

Iran has insisted that any agreement must also address the conflict in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been involved in fighting with Israel. Iranian Brig. Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi said Israeli strikes “will not go unanswered.”

A US official said the proposed agreement included Lebanon, which became involved in the wider conflict after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel.
Pakistan and Qatar have acted as mediators in the negotiations. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday to help facilitate the finalisation of a possible agreement, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter.

The parties have given different accounts of the proposed deal, including disagreements over the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said it will maintain authority over the strategic waterway, while Washington has rejected that position. The US has imposed a blockade affecting Iranian ports, while Iran has restricted movement through the strait.

Another major issue remains Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, while Israel, the United States and other Western governments have expressed concerns over potential military use.

On Sunday, Israel issued evacuation warnings for 29 villages in southern Lebanon. Israel said its strikes in Beirut were carried out in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.

Lebanon’s civil defence agency said at least three people were killed and six wounded in the strike. Israel’s military also said three suspected Hezbollah drones struck northern Israel but caused no casualties.

The meeting followed a summit in London earlier this week attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, France and Germany. During the gathering, the three European countries expressed support for Kyiv’s proposal for direct talks with Moscow aimed at ending more than four years of conflict.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere described the discussions at Russia’s Foreign Ministry as constructive and told reporters that a joint statement would be released later in the day.

Russia, however, characterized the talks differently, saying the ambassadors were informed of what Moscow described as the “destructive” Ukraine policies of their governments. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Britain, France and Germany of seeking to prolong the conflict at Europe’s expense.

The diplomatic contact comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal by Zelensky this month for a face-to-face meeting intended to advance peace negotiations.

At the London summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed Zelensky’s initiative and said the current battlefield positions should serve as a starting point for future negotiations.

Western European diplomats have had limited direct engagement with Russian authorities since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine. Contacts have largely been confined to formal summonses and diplomatic exchanges through established channels.

The meeting also reflects growing discussion within parts of Europe about whether renewed dialogue with Moscow could help create conditions for ending the conflict, which remains Europe’s largest war since World War Two.

Efforts led by the United States to broker a settlement have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. Diplomatic attention has also been increasingly diverted by the conflict involving Iran, complicating international attempts to advance negotiations on Ukraine.

Russia has generally preferred discussing the war with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and has repeatedly signaled opposition to a larger European role in any future settlement process.

Britain, France and Germany remain among Ukraine’s principal military, financial and diplomatic supporters and have consistently backed Kyiv throughout the conflict.

Community-led peace initiatives are emerging as a potential tool in Nigeria’s struggle against bandit violence, with some local leaders reporting improvements in security after negotiating directly with armed groups that have terrorized large areas of the country’s northwest.

One of the most prominent examples comes from Kurfi, a local government area in Katsina State, where a peace agreement brokered by community figures has brought what residents describe as a period of relative stability following years of attacks, kidnappings and displacement.

Dayyabu Abba-Kurfi, a civil servant and local politician, played a central role in negotiating the agreement in August 2025 between residents and bandit groups operating in the area. Abba-Kurfi, known locally by the nickname “Doncaster,” earned during his school football days in the 1980s, said the arrangement has allowed many residents to begin rebuilding lives disrupted by years of insecurity.

The initiative reflects growing frustration among communities that have endured repeated violence despite extensive security operations by Nigerian authorities. While federal and state governments continue military campaigns against armed groups, some local leaders argue that dialogue and community engagement can complement conventional security responses.

Banditry has become one of Nigeria’s most serious security challenges over the past decade. Criminal groups operating primarily in northwestern states have carried out kidnappings, extortion, cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities. Many groups operate on motorcycles and maintain bases in remote forest areas that are difficult for security forces to access.

Researchers trace the origins of the crisis to a combination of social, economic and environmental pressures. Rapid population growth, competition over land and the effects of climate change have intensified tensions between farming and pastoral communities across northern Nigeria.

Historically, nomadic herders relied on established grazing routes that allowed livestock to move across large areas of the region. However, expanding agricultural activity and population growth have reduced access to these traditional pathways, contributing to disputes over land and resources.

According to Malik Samuel, a senior researcher at the Abuja-based policy organization Good Governance Africa, many members of nomadic Fulani communities have long felt politically and economically marginalized.

He said disputes between farmers and herders often reinforce perceptions that pastoral groups receive less support from authorities during conflicts.Samuel noted that while such grievances may be legitimate, some individuals have exploited them to justify or facilitate criminal activity. Over time, local vigilante structures and self-defense groups evolved in some areas into organized criminal networks involved in kidnapping, illegal mining and other illicit enterprises.

The scale of the problem has grown significantly in recent years. According to data compiled by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based risk analysis firm, approximately 15,000 kidnapping incidents were recorded across Nigeria between 2019 and 2025. A large proportion occurred in the northwest, where insecurity has become deeply entrenched.

Separate research by the firm estimated that kidnappers received approximately 2.57 billion naira, equivalent to about £1.4 million, in ransom payments between July 2024 and June 2025. The figures underscore the extent to which kidnapping has become a lucrative criminal enterprise.Katsina State remains among the regions most heavily affected.

Eleven of its 34 local government areas have experienced repeated attacks by bandit groups, resulting in widespread displacement and economic disruption.Many rural residents abandoned villages and farms to seek safety in urban centers, where living expenses were often significantly higher.

Agricultural production suffered as fields were left unattended and livestock movements disrupted. Residents reported that bandits frequently allowed cattle to graze on cultivated farmland, destroying crops and reducing harvests.The psychological impact of the violence has been equally severe. Across affected communities, families developed survival routines designed to minimize risk during nighttime raids.

Many households ate meals early in the evening before leaving their homes to seek refuge in forests or isolated locations.Residents described scenarios in which parents separated while fleeing attacks, with fathers taking some children in one direction and mothers taking others in another attempt to improve the family’s chances of survival.

In the confusion, children were occasionally left behind or became lost while escaping.Accounts from affected communities highlight the human cost of prolonged insecurity. In one incident recalled by residents in Kurfi, a family that remained at home during an attack experienced severe violence. According to local accounts, armed men assaulted the mother while the father hid inside the house fearing for his life.

Such experiences have contributed to growing support for alternative approaches aimed at reducing violence. Community leaders involved in peace efforts argue that their familiarity with local dynamics allows them to communicate with armed groups in ways that external actors often cannot.Supporters of local mediation contend that trusted intermediaries possess knowledge of community relationships, historical grievances and social networks that can facilitate dialogue.

They argue that these connections can help create opportunities for de-escalation in areas where military operations alone have struggled to establish lasting stability.Critics, however, have previously questioned whether negotiations with criminal groups risk legitimizing armed actors or providing temporary rather than permanent solutions. Security analysts note that peace agreements can be fragile and may collapse if underlying economic and social conditions remain unresolved.

Despite those concerns, the relative calm reported in communities such as Kurfi has attracted attention from policymakers and residents seeking practical responses to a crisis that has displaced thousands of people and disrupted economic activity across northern Nigeria.For many residents, the immediate priority is not broader political debate but restoring daily life.

In communities emerging from years of fear, the ability to return to farms, reopen businesses and sleep in their own homes represents a significant measure of progress.Whether locally negotiated peace arrangements can be replicated across other parts of northwestern Nigeria remains uncertain.

However, their emergence reflects a growing recognition that resolving the country’s bandit crisis may require a combination of security operations, community engagement and efforts to address the deeper social and economic factors that have fueled violence for years.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian newspaper Izvestia that the letter had been delivered to Putin overnight after first appearing in the media.

“Yes, overnight we already handed over the written version. What came from the media was passed on to the president, and he has reviewed it. The president has been briefed,” Peskov said.

Zelensky published the open letter on Thursday, calling for direct talks with Putin aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict. He said Ukraine remained prepared to continue fighting if no diplomatic breakthrough could be achieved.

The Ukrainian leader also sought to increase pressure on the Kremlin by arguing that Russians were growing weary of both the war and Putin’s leadership.

Peskov indicated that Putin could address the letter publicly later on Friday during a plenary session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Russia’s flagship annual economic gatherings.

The Kremlin has not yet provided a formal response to Zelensky’s proposal or indicated whether Putin would consider a direct meeting with the Ukrainian president.

The exchange comes as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled and fighting continues more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in Limassol, Kallas said the debate over appointing a European envoy for potential peace talks with Russia risked distracting the bloc from maintaining pressure on Moscow and supporting Kyiv. Her remarks came as discussions within Europe intensified over whether and how to re-engage diplomatically with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It’s a trap that Russia wants us to walk into, that we discuss who talks to them, and they are already picking who is suitable, who is not,” Kallas said. “Let’s not walk into that trap.”

The meeting of EU foreign ministers took place against a shifting geopolitical backdrop, with U.S. President Donald Trump increasingly focused on tensions involving Iran while European officials assessed signs that Putin’s position may be weakening after more than four years of war in Ukraine.

Speculation over possible European negotiators has grown in recent weeks after Putin suggested former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime ally of the Kremlin leader, could serve in such a role. The proposal was widely rejected across Europe.Several ministers attending the Cyprus talks argued that the European Union should nonetheless prepare for a future negotiating role.

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said Kyiv expected the bloc to organize itself politically and diplomatically for eventual talks with Moscow.“We should now get ready,” Meinl-Reisinger said, adding that she would push for the EU “to appoint a chief negotiator” capable of representing European interests and coordinating with Ukraine.

Other ministers cautioned against shifting focus away from sanctions, military assistance and diplomatic pressure on Russia. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the immediate priority should remain increasing costs for Moscow rather than debating representation.“This is not a time when we are discussing who is going to have the negotiations,” Budrys said.

“We have to discuss what we are doing to put additional pressure on Russia.”Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna warned that Europe risked undermining its own position if it moved too quickly toward the role of neutral intermediary. He said the bloc should continue pursuing what he described as “strategic patience” while supporting Ukraine’s objectives.

“Of course we can find, if the time is right, who’s going to represent Europe,” Tsahkna said. “But this is a trap now that Putin wants to bring Europe in.”He added that no immediate breakthrough in negotiations appeared likely.

“Whoever would like to go right now this guy is not going to have a Nobel Prize, because there won’t be any serious talks,” he said.