Russia kills 12 in Ukraine as US hosts ‘productive’ talks to end war

Russian air attacks on Ukraine have killed at least 12 people, including three children, in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy said Russia had targeted residential neighbourhoods in the city with “five guided aerial bombs” on Saturday morning, hitting two residential buildings.

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. As of now, sadly, 12 people have been confirmed killed, including three children,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

“Another 14 people have been injured, and two of them are in critical condition – the doctors are fighting to save their lives. The status of 12 more people who may have been there is still being verified,” Zelenskyy added, as rescuers continued searching for people under the rubble.

Speaking from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Audrey Macalpine said “there are more and more daytime attacks taking place across Ukraine, for example a glide bomb hit a bus stop earlier in the week, killing 30 people, and in Kyiv recently more and more jet-powered drones are striking targets during the daytime”.

“One video that was released recently shows a man standing in front of a school and running from a building when he heard the jet approaching, surviving only by a few seconds – all of this underscores just how dangerous things have become for civilians here in Ukraine lately,” Macalpine said.

The attacks come a day after US, Ukrainian, and European officials met in Miami, Florida, to discuss a proposal for ⁠ending the Russia-Ukraine war, US envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement posted to X.

Witkoff said on Friday that “constructive discussions” tackled “potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace”.

Witkoff said the meeting included “the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine and NATO”.

The discussions covered energy resilience, grain exports, security guarantees and “longer-term arrangements for Ukraine’s and Europe’s security to prevent future conflict”, Witkoff said.

He also noted the “productive” talks discussed “Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and economic prosperity, including EU accession”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the conflict had reached a dangerous “stalemate”, with the failure to reach a negotiated settlement raising the risk of further escalation.

“The other way that stalemates end is through escalation,” Rubio told reporters, warning that the conflict could spread to neighbouring NATO countries.