Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Putin accused of ‘hollow’ peace claims as 74 individuals wounded in Sumy missile strike

The casualty toll of a Russian missile strike on Sumy has risen to 78, including 13 children, the Sumy City Council reported.

Several high rise buildings and a school were damaged in the attack, regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh said. Local authorities said a hospital was also damaged in the strike.

Ukraine struck a gas distribution station in Russia’s Belgorod region on Saturday, the defence ministry in Russia has claimed according to RIA state news agency.

Both sides have accused the other of hitting energy infrastructure targets in the days since Vladimir Putin agreed to a halt on such strikes in a phone call with Donald Trump.

Kyiv’s delegation sat down with Washington’s team in Riyadh on Sunday night, and Moscow is following suit on Monday – in what are believed to be the first such parallel peace talks since the early days of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

After three years of brutal warfare, US officials have said that Mr Trump hopes to secure a ceasefire deal by 20 April, a symbolic date on which both Western and Orthodox celebrations of Easter will overlap this year.

However, the Kremlin appeared to temper any hopes of a swift truce ahead of the Riyadh talks, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warning that progress on a deal was unlikely as it was “only the beginning” of what would be “difficult” negotiations. On Monday, the Kremlin said there are still many different aspects that need to be worked out over a peace deal.

Andy Gregory takes a look at what to expect from the US-led talks in Saudi Arabia:

Many aspects related to a possible settlement in Ukraine still need to be worked out, the Kremlin has said as Russian and US officials convene in Saudi Arabia for talks.

The Black Sea initiative, which concerns shipping security in the body of water separating parts of Ukraine and Russia, is on the agenda in the Riyadh talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added.

Moscow shares a common understanding with the US regarding its desire to move towards a settlement, Mr Peskov said, adding that Russia continues to monitor the situation after attacks by Kyiv.

Four children are among the at least 28 casualties of a Russian missile attack in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, local officials said.

A hospital and residential area was heavily damaged, mayor Artem Kobzar said, with footage showing large plumes of smoke rising from the apparent site of the missile strike.

“The enemy launched a missile strike on the city centre. Several high-rise buildings, and a school are damaged. Children were in a shelter,” the Sumy region’s governor Volodymyr Artiukh said, stood at the site of the attack.

Heavy black smoke and fires could be seen in the background, as well as a car with shattered windows. Smoke also rose from the upper floors of a five-storey residential block nearby.

Sumy, about 30 km (18.6 miles) from the Russian border, as well as the surrounding region, is subject to constant drone and missile strikes by Russia.

As we reported earlier today, Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia are set to cover topics including a partial ceasefire over energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, Nato membership, and more.

But one of Moscow’s key demands has been an easing of Western sanctions on Russia – something which the White House appears to have softened its stance on in recent months.

Vladimir Putin also wants to see presidential elections in Ukraine.

Kyiv has not held any elections since 2019 because of wartime martial law, which prohibits holding elections. Ukrainian officials also say that holding an election during the war would be impossible in practice, given many citizens live under Russian occupation. Mr Trump last month lashed out at Mr Zelensky as a “dictator”, enraging Washington’s allies.

Since Mr Trump returned to the White House in January, sources say his administration has been studying ways it could ease sanctions if Moscow agrees to end the war. However, this month Mr Trump also raised the prospect of imposing large-scale banking curbs and tariffs on Russia until peace is achieved.

More than 50,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK over the past two-and-a-half years, as Kyiv mobilised the male civilian population for the war effort against Russia.

Recent data shows that a small number of them – less than 1 per cent – went missing during these training periods and claimed asylum in the UK, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

“A small number out of more than 52,000 soldiers trained with us over the past two and a half years have fled. It’s less than 1%. The vast majority of fighters who come to us are highly motivated and dedicated to their mission,” said Operation Interflex commander Colonel Andy Boardman, who led the British operation to train Ukrainian troops.

Ukraine’s military command said only two soldiers went AWOL to claim asylum in 2024, and 12 more have done so since the beginning of 2025.