High-ranking officials from the Pentagon have arrived in Ukraine to "discuss efforts to end the war" with Russia, the US military announced.
The team, led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday, when he returns from a trip to Turkey. The atmosphere in the Ukrainian capital is tense but resolute, as the arrival of the American officials is expected.
Since Wednesday, information has begun to circulate that the US and Russia have prepared a new peace plan containing major concessions from Ukraine. Neither Washington nor Moscow has officially confirmed the plan. This further intensifies the tension, with each side awaiting the development of the negotiations.
Earlier in the day, at least 26 people were killed in a Russian missile and drone attack on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, local authorities reported. At the scene of the attack, firefighters and rescue teams continue to search for survivors among the ruins. The tragedy highlights the brutality of the war that Russia launched against Ukraine in 2022.