Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russia has launched more than 300 drones and missiles in a nighttime attack on Ukraine's power grid. The assault knocked out heating to more than 5,600 apartment buildings in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Tuesday that nearly 80% of these buildings had just regained heat after a previous attack. Ukraine is facing one of its coldest winters with temperatures in Kyiv dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius or minus 4 Fahrenheit. Ukrainian officials meanwhile are in the U.S. for peace talks. They aim to finalize documents for a proposed peace settlement that focuses on postwar security and economic recovery.

U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv's demands, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Monday, he said that while the drafts look solid, neither side is likely to get everything it wants. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held productive talks with Ukrainian and European representatives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have struck deep inside Russia, targeting an oil terminal, pipeline, and military assets. These attacks aim to disrupt Russia's war effort. Russia continues targeting Ukraine's energy sector, trying to deprive civilians of heat and water during winter.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front line doubt that peace talks can end the war with Russia. Explosions from Russian weapons keep them almost always underground, and nothing on the Eastern Front suggests an end is near. Soldiers' skepticism over diplomatic peace efforts is rooted in months of what they see as broken U.S. promises to end the war quickly. Suggestions to exchange territories confuse and frustrate them. Some soldiers believe a brief pause in hostilities is more likely than peace. As the war drags on, soldiers train intensively, knowing there's no way back.

Ukrainian soldiers are expressing little hope for a diplomatic solution to the war with Russia as U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline arrives for the Kremlin to stop the killing. It was unclear Friday what steps Trump intends to take. He is eyeing a possible summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the conflict. His efforts to pressure Putin have delivered no progress so far. Russia's army is advancing deeper into Ukraine and it is bombarding cities. In eastern Ukraine, a commander says Moscow isn't interested in peace. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says Europe should lead efforts to end the conflict.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces are holding back a concerted summer push by Russia's bigger army to break through defenses along parts of the front line. He says Ukraine has thwarted Russian efforts to get into Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region. He says the situation has also improved in the northeastern Sumy border region. Analysts say Russia has recently made only incremental gains in its slow and costly advance against Ukrainian defenses. With the war now in its fourth year after Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbor, the effort is draining resources on both sides, although Russia can sustain the fight for longer while Ukraine seeks further support from Western partners.

Ukrainian forces claim to have stopped Russia's advance into the northern Sumy region, stabilizing the front line near the border. Ukraine's top military commander said on Thursday that this success has prevented Russia from redeploying 50,000 troops, including elite units, to other areas. Russian officials have not commented on the claim. Fighting continues along the 1,000-kilometer front line, with Ukraine relying on drones to counter Russia's slow but costly advances. In Donetsk, Russia claims to have captured two villages as part of its offensive. Both sides are also launching long-range drone strikes, causing injuries and damage across multiple regions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed putting Ukraine under external governance under the auspices of the U.N. as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement. It was a statement that reflected his determination to achieve his war goals. In televised remarks early Friday, Putin reaffirmed his claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Kyiv maintains that elections are impossible to hold amid a war. Putin claimed that any agreement that is signed with the current Ukrainian government could be challenged by its successors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agrees in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. But he emphasized that the terms are yet to be worked out and noted that any truce should pave the way to lasting peace. Putin spoke Thursday at a news conference in Moscow. He said more discussions are needed with the U.S., including President Donald Trump. In Washington, Trump offered guarded optimism about Putin's statement and reiterated that he stood ready to speak with him. The Russian leader made the remarks just hours after the arrival of Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Moscow for talks.

A shortage of infantry troops and supply routes under Russian drone attacks have dealt a blow to Ukrainian forces around the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk. The crucial supply hub lies at the confluence of highways leading to key cities in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian commanders say they do not have enough reserves to sustain defense lines and new recruits are unprepared and sometimes abandon positions. Heavy fog in recent days prevented Ukrainians from effectively using surveillance drones, allowing Russian troops to control dominant heights and take more territory.