Trump Holds Separate Calls with Putin, Zelenskyy as Ukrainian Strike Kills One in Crimea
Attack on Russian-occupied peninsula coincides with renewed U.S. diplomatic push to end war entering its fifth year
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea killed one person and injured two others early Sunday, Moscow-installed authorities said, as U.S. President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders in a renewed effort to broker an end to the war.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed governor of Crimea, said one person was killed and two others were wounded in the strike on the northern part of the peninsula. One of the injured remains in serious condition, he said, without providing further details about the nature of the attack.
The latest strike comes amid an intensified Ukrainian campaign targeting military and strategic infrastructure in Crimea, a peninsula seized and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv has increasingly relied on long-range strikes in recent months in an effort to isolate Russian forces stationed on the peninsula and disrupt Moscow's logistical networks.
Western officials and military analysts say Ukraine's expanding long-range capabilities have enabled it to inflict significant damage on Russian military assets while increasing pressure on the Kremlin at a time when Russia's battlefield advances have slowed.
The attack coincided with a fresh round of high-level diplomacy involving Trump, who held separate telephone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence and discussed the military situation along the front line.
"There is a real prospect of ending this war, and America's determination will be crucial," Zelenskyy wrote, adding that the two leaders agreed to continue their discussions in person during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
The Kremlin described Putin's nearly 90-minute conversation with Trump as "constructive."
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin congratulated Trump and the American people on the anniversary of U.S. independence before the two leaders discussed prospects for ending the conflict.
According to Ushakov, Trump reiterated his willingness to help achieve a rapid ceasefire and pursue a peaceful settlement.
Ushakov also said Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, would continue mediation efforts and remain prepared to visit Moscow as part of ongoing diplomatic contacts.
According to the Kremlin, Putin reaffirmed Russia's preference for resolving the conflict through diplomacy, provided Moscow's "fundamental positions" are taken into account.
At the same time, Putin accused Ukraine and its European allies of prolonging and escalating the conflict, arguing that what he described as Europe's "party of war" misjudges the military situation on the ground.
Ushakov said Putin told Trump that Russian forces continue advancing along the front line and claimed they had captured the strategic Ukrainian stronghold of Kostyantynivka, describing it as an important step toward taking full control of the Donetsk region. Ukraine has denied the Russian claim.
The latest developments highlight the dual track shaping the conflict, with intensified military operations continuing alongside renewed diplomatic engagement.
Despite periodic peace initiatives, the war—now in its fifth year since Russia launched its full-scale military operations in Ukraine in February 2022—has shown little sign of a comprehensive settlement, with both sides continuing to pursue military gains while maintaining sharply divergent conditions for ending the conflict.