Russian strikes kill 1 in Ukrainian city as peace deadline looms

Airstrike Strikes: Ukraine Seeks Peace Deadline Amidst Struggle

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)—A Russian airstrike struck the residential area of eastern Ukraine’s city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region on Sunday, killing one person and injuring two. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the U.S. had set a June deadline for an end to hostilities.

Naftogaz’s CEO Serhii Koretskyi confirmed that Russia had also targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in Poltava region overnight into Sunday, raising concerns about potential further attacks on critical facilities.

Zelenskyy highlighted on Friday that the U.S. now specifies a June deadline for both sides to conclude the conflict. He asserted that if negotiations do not succeed by then, the Trump administration would likely exert pressure on Russia and Ukraine.

The recent airstrikes have hit the Ukrainian power grid severely since the war began nearly four years ago, with Zelenskyy referring to this strategy as “weaponizing winter.” This tactic aims to weaken Ukrainian resilience, a point Kyiv officials acknowledge.

Meanwhile, the latest deadline follows previous U.S.-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi without achieving any progress. Ukraine and Russia remain entrenched in mutually exclusive demands for ceasefire terms. Russia insists on Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas, which Zelenskyy staunchly denies.

With each passing day, negotiations appear to be nearing an impasse, pushing the world closer to a June deadline for reaching a lasting peace accord.