Live: Russia pounds Ukraine's Kremenchuk as US-hosted peace talks wrap up

Russia has intensified its bombardment of Ukraine's Kremenchuk, targeting transport infrastructure, fuel and energy facilities, and long-range drone complexes. The village of Kucherivka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region was also captured by Russian forces, according to state news agencies.

US President Donald Trump's outgoing envoy, Keith Kellogg, said that a peace deal with Ukraine is "really close" but requires resolution of two main outstanding issues: the future of Ukraine's Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Kellogg expressed optimism that resolving these issues would unlock the rest of the conflict.

In related news, the Kremlin has welcomed the US revision of its national security strategy, which no longer labels Russia a "direct threat." This shift in tone comes as US President Trump's administration seeks to promote limited cooperation with Moscow on strategic stability issues.

Meanwhile, China and Russia have held joint anti-missile drills on Russian territory for the third time. The exercises were not targeted at any third party or in response to current international situations.

Russia's air defence units have destroyed 77 Ukrainian drones launched overnight, damaging a power transmission tower that left approximately 250 residents without electricity. The city of Kremenchuk was also hit by an overnight combined air strike on infrastructure, causing power and water outages, according to its mayor Vitalii Maletskyi.

The ongoing violence in Ukraine continues to have significant implications for regional stability and global security.

OMG I'm literally shaking just thinking about this ... like what's going on with Russia and Ukraine?! They're just escalating the situation left and right, it's crazy! And then we got this news about US President Trump saying a peace deal is "really close" but I don't know how they can resolve those issues without talking about all the other stuff like Donbas region and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant . Like, what's going on?! And China and Russia having joint drills? That just makes me nervous ... what if it's not just a drill?! I mean, I know we're supposed to be all about promoting strategic stability issues but like can't we focus on actual peace instead of just talking about it?

I'm not surprised they're bombing Kremenchuk again... like, how many times can one place be hit before something just gives? But you know what's even more concerning? The US is basically saying a peace deal in Ukraine is 'close' but we need to solve a couple of issues. What exactly are these issues and why did it take so long for them to get addressed?!

Wow , can't believe the situation is still so dire! Interesting how US & Russia are trying to find common ground on strategic issues . Hope Kellogg's optimism pays off and a peaceful solution comes through . China & Russia teaming up for joint drills seems like another layer of complexity . And, man, 250 residents without electricity due to Ukraine conflict . When will it end?!

OMG u guyz so Russia is just getting more & more aggressive in Ukraine lol what's next? I'm still thinking that maybe they should focus on resolving those issues with Ukraine like Kellogg said but meanwhile China & Russia are doing their own thing, joint anti-missile drills . Can't help but wonder if they're trying to make a point about who's the real superpower right now . I mean US just dropped that national security strategy revision and it's all about cooperation with Moscow . Not sure how well that's gonna work out though

you know what's crazy? we're still dealing with this whole Russia-Ukraine situation... it feels like forever ago that trump was all like "oh, let's just make peace" but meanwhile, kremenchuk is getting pounded by russia and people are losing their lives over there... it's heartbreaking.

i mean, i get it, don't wanna label russia as a direct threat or whatever... but can't we just have a peaceful world for once? china and russia having joint anti-missile drills is just another thing to be worried about, it feels like they're all playing this game of global chess without us knowing the rules .

anyway, it's all so tragic... 250 people without electricity because of those stupid drones... can't we all just get along?

idk why the west is being all chill about russia's invasion of ukraine lol they keep saying it's close to a peace deal but meanwhile ppl are dyin like, can't we just get that sorted out already? and what's with the "limited cooperation" tho? seems like just an excuse for them not to take action

OMG u guys I just read the news about Russia bombing Kremenchuk again it's like they don't care about human lives at all. My heart is literally breaking thinking about those 250 people who lost electricity cuz of a power transmission tower And on top of that, US President Trump's envoy is trying to negotiate peace but there's still so many issues left unsolved... like Donbas region and the nuclear plant

And omg have u seen the pics of Russia's air defence units destroying 77 Ukrainian drones? Like what even is happening over there?! Meanwhile China and Russia are having joint anti-missile drills I don't know if it's a good or bad thing but I guess it's interesting

I'm literally trying to process all this news and my brain hurts u guys need to stay safe in case of any potential nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia plant... we should all be sending positive vibes for peace

.. this conflict is getting more and more complicated . It's like, one day you think things are gonna calm down, and then BAM! Another bomb drop or drone launch happens. I'm not sure what to make of all these developments, but it seems like no matter how many times the world tells Russia to stop, they just won't listen. And now they're even talking about joint drills with China? Like, is this some kind of new cold war thing? I just wish everyone could sit down and talk things out before more innocent people get hurt.

And can we please talk about the US national security strategy change? It's like, they're trying to be friends with Russia again, but at what cost? Are we really gonna start trusting them again after all this? I don't know, man. As someone who's lived through a few conflicts in my time, it's hard not to be skeptical.

Anyway, gotta say, I'm tired of hearing about this war and its aftermath. Can't we just focus on peace for once?

I'm worried about the escalating situation in Ukraine... it's like a big domino effect - one bad thing happens, then another, and before you know it, everyone gets caught up in the mess .

I mean, think about it - Russia just bombs this one town and suddenly they're saying that peace is "really close" . Easy for them to say when they're the ones doing all the shooting . And what's with the US changing its national security strategy? Like, suddenly Russia isn't a direct threat anymore .

And China and Russia teaming up for these joint drills? It's like they're saying "Hey, we've got this" - but is that just going to make things worse? . And the fact that Ukrainian residents lost power and water last night because of it? That's just devastating .

I don't know, maybe I'm just being too negative... but it all feels like a big game of Russian roulette to me - will anyone get hurt? Will anyone find peace? Only time will tell .

Russia's attack on Ukraine is getting worse ! They're hitting all sorts of stuff like fuel and energy facilities , but also just making a mess everywhere . The village of Kucherivka got taken by Russian forces .

Meanwhile, US President Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg is being optimistic about a peace deal ! He thinks resolving two main issues (Donbas region and the nuclear power plant) will make everything cool . But Russia's not having it .

The Kremlin is happy about the US changing its national security strategy , but I'm like... what's going on with that? And China and Russia are practicing their anti-missile drills . It's all just a big mess .

I don't get why they can't just talk things out . The violence is affecting people's lives , especially in Kremenchuk where there were power and water outages . We need some peace ASAP !

can we take a deep breath here? think about this - us labeling russia as a direct threat might actually be doing more harm than good... what if we're missing an opportunity for diplomatic breakthroughs by being too quick to judge? kellogg's optimism about resolving donbas and zaporizhzhia is kinda refreshing, but it's also easy to get caught up in the hype. i'm not saying we should just forget about russia's actions, but can't we try a different approach? like, what if china and russia's joint drills are actually a sign of cooperation rather than aggression? we need to keep an open mind here...

.. I mean, can you believe how far back we are? Like, remember when the Cold War was all about proxy wars and nuclear threats? Nowadays, it's like Russia is just trying to make a power play with China and everyone else is just trying to stay in the game. The US is trying to be diplomatic and friendly, but it's hard not to see the elephant in the room - the fact that they're basically downplaying Russia's threat level. And then there are these joint anti-missile drills with China... what does that even mean?

And poor Ukraine, stuck right in the middle of all this. I feel bad for the people who are getting caught up in it - the fact that they've got 250 residents without electricity because Russia destroyed a power transmission tower is just heartbreaking. It's like, can't we all just get along?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this news . Russia's actions towards Ukraine are just so concerning... I mean, 250 people without electricity? That's heartbreaking . And the fact that they're targeting transport infrastructure and fuel facilities is really raising the stakes.

But at the same time, I'm also seeing some glimmers of hope . Like with the US revising its national security strategy - it's a small step, but maybe it shows that both sides are willing to listen and find common ground? And Keith Kellogg's optimism about resolving those two main issues is nice to hear .

The joint anti-missile drills between China and Russia are also interesting... I mean, not necessarily good for the world . It feels like we're stuck in this cycle of tension and uncertainty, and it's hard to see a way out. But I guess that's just the state of global politics right now .