Four Killed in Dnipro Missile Strike as High-Stakes Diplomatic Push to End Ukraine War Intensifies

A Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has left four people dead and at least 40 others injured, heightening tensions just as renewed diplomatic attempts to end the nearly three-year war gain momentum.

The blast ripped through an area near a major roadway on Monday morning, igniting cars, damaging shops and tearing into an office complex. Local authorities said the scale of destruction suggests a ballistic missile may have been used, though this remains unconfirmed.

Dnipro, sitting roughly 100km (62 miles) from the front line, has been repeatedly targeted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Peace Talks Under Pressure

The attack comes on the eve of a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Witkoff — who has visited Putin multiple times this year but has yet to travel to Kyiv — is attempting to revive peace negotiations.

A day earlier, a Ukrainian delegation held talks in Florida with Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the discussions as “very constructive,” though he acknowledged that “tough issues” remain unresolved.

Rubio echoed that sentiment, calling the meeting “productive” while warning that “more work needs to be done.”

These exchanges form part of an intense round of “shuttle diplomacy” in recent weeks, as Ukrainian and Russian officials hold separate meetings with US figures to explore a possible peace roadmap.

Deep Divisions Between Kyiv and Moscow

Despite renewed dialogue, the gulf between both sides’ positions remains vast. Russia continues to insist that Ukraine must withdraw from the remaining parts of the Donbas region it still controls — a demand Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.

“If they don’t withdraw, we’ll achieve this by force,” Putin warned.
Zelensky responded that Moscow “scorns efforts” aimed at “truly ending the war.”

Security guarantees also remain a sticking point. Ukraine and its European partners want commitments — potentially including NATO membership — to prevent any future Russian aggression. Moscow opposes this outright, and Trump has also said Ukraine should not join the alliance.

Ukraine Seeks Stronger European Backing

Zelensky arrived in Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and will travel to Ireland on Tuesday as he works to shore up European support amid concerns that Washington may be leaning closer to Russia’s preferred terms.

Those fears have grown alongside political turbulence in Kyiv. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday after investigators raided his home during a corruption probe, though he has not been charged. Two cabinet ministers have also been dismissed.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump referred to Ukraine’s political woes as “difficult little problems,” while reiterating his belief that both sides want the war to end.

The conflict, which began in 2014 and escalated dramatically in 2022, has killed or injured tens of thousands of soldiers, caused thousands of civilian deaths, and forced more than seven million people to flee their homes.