Kyiv [Ukraine], December 29 (ANI): Ukrainian authorities reported on Monday that Russia continued overnight shelling in the Kyiv-controlled Donetsk region, striking multiple districts in eastern Ukraine amid peace talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida aimed at ending the ongoing war in Europe.
According to a statement shared on Telegram by the Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration and Regional Military Administration, Russian forces carried out seven shelling attacks on settlements in the Donetsk region overnight, resulting in one death and five injuries.
In the Pokrovsk district, five residential houses were destroyed in the Shakhivska community, including three homes in Kucherev Yar and two in Gruzky. In the Kramatorsk district, one person was injured in Lyman. In the Starodubivka community of Mykolaiv, one house was destroyed and nine others were damaged. In Sloviansk, one civilian was killed and four others injured after strikes completely destroyed two private homes, while an additional 42 houses and four vehicles sustained damage. In the Bakhmut district, at least two houses in Riznykivka, Siversk community, were damaged.
The regional administration said that 108 civilians, including 18 children, were evacuated from frontline areas amid the ongoing hostilities.
The latest attacks occurred as international attention remained focused on diplomatic efforts, with Trump and Zelenskyy meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to discuss a proposed 20-point peace framework, security guarantees, and potential territorial compromises to end the conflict.
Prior to the meeting, Trump held a lengthy telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing it as “good and very productive.”
“I just had a good and very productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia prior to my meeting, at 1:00 P.M. today, with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Kremlin also described the call positively.
During his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump, known for setting deadlines on most issues, said he has no deadline for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal this time. “I don’t have deadlines. You know what my deadline is: getting the war ended,” he said.
Trump also stated that a peace agreement to end the war is “very close,” highlighting significant progress in ongoing discussions.
“We had a terrific meeting. We discussed a lot of things. As you know, I had an excellent phone call with President Putin. It lasted for over two hours. We discussed a lot of points. I do think we’re getting a lot closer, maybe very close. The President and I just spoke to the European leaders… We have made a lot of progress on ending that war, which is probably the deadliest war since World War II,” he said.
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