Deadly drone strikes in defiance of Trump

VLADIMIR Putin defied Donald Trump’s demand to cease bombing Ukraine by launching another round of deadly drone strikes.

- By Stephen Beech

At least five people, including a child, were killed in renewed Russian attacks just hours before Putin welcomed US special envoy Steve Witkoff to the Kremlin yesterday.

It came as a senior Russian military officer was killed in a car bombing in Moscow as Mr Witkoff arrived in the capital.

General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the main operations directorate of Russia’s army, was killed by a homemade explosive device “filled with destructive elements”, according to officials.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service has previously targeted high-profile military officers on Russian soil.

US President Trump has said in an interview that “Crimea will stay with Russia” as Ukraine comes under mounting pressure to make concessions to end the war between the countries.

Trump has accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of prolonging the war by resisting negotiations with Mr Putin.

On Crimea, Trump said: “Zelensky understands that. Everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time.”

A US proposal to end the three-year war, presented to Ukraine and its European allies last week, included an official recognition of Crimea as Russian by Washington, which would violate international law. Mr Zelensky rejected the proposal.