War

Ukraine, Moscow: 'Negotiations suspended, but we maintain dialogue with US'

Ongoing discussions between the Russian and American sides. Ukrainian delegation also talks with US negotiators

by Valeriano Musiu and Tommaso Ponzi

2 April 2026

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Mercoledì 18 marzo 2026, nel villaggio di Novi Petrivtsi, vicino alla capitale Kiev, in Ucraina, durante il corteo funebre, alcuni militari trasportano la bara del soldato volontario ventenne Dmytro Dukhota, caduto in battaglia contro le truppe russe, davanti al monumento dedicato alla Seconda guerra mondiale. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) APN

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Kiev attacks Russian oil refinery
Unicef Ukraine: 9 children killed and 80 injured in March

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The trilateral negotiations on the solution of the Ukrainian conflict have been suspended, but the Russian side is in contact with the American side and is mainly discussing the Ukrainian issue. This was stated by Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov today.

"There is a pause in the trilateral negotiations. We have contacts with the Americans, but we also see that the Ukrainians are actively negotiating with them. The American negotiators, we know who they are, are busy with other issues at the moment," Ushakov told reporters, adding that Russia and the US are mainly discussing Ukraine.

Drones in the Night

In the night of 1 to 2 April, Russia attacked Ukraine with 172 drones. In the early hours of the morning, Russian troops carried out more than ten attacks on three districts in the Dnipro region with drones and artillery strikes, killing one person and wounding two.

Military actions against civil infrastructure in the Odessa region using drones continue, causing fires and damage. This was announced by the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Kiper. "Residential buildings and the port area were hit. There are no casualties," he wrote on Telegram.

Kiev attacks Russian oil refinery

On the opposite front, Russian air defence systems shot down 147 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a note. "Last night, from 23:00 Moscow time to 7:00 Moscow time on 2 April, the service air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 147 Ukrainian unmanned fixed-wing drones," a statement quotes. The announcement comes after reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil refinery in the city of Ufa, located about 1,300 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, which occurred at dawn without causing any casualties or injuries.

Unicef Ukraine: 9 children killed and 80 injured in March

"We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of a 6-year-old girl from injuries sustained in an attack in Shostka, Sumy region". Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund) Ukraine reported this in its profile on X. "According to reports, in the month of March alone, 9 children were killed and another 80 were injured," the post continues, "This is a dramatic reminder of the increasingly heavy toll of the war on children."

"There is no justification for the loss and destruction of young lives," says Unicef, "These brutal and senseless attacks must end. More and more young people are losing their lives as the attacks continue across the Ukraine. Children are paying a devastating price. For every child, peace. For every child, protection."

Putin receives Egyptian foreign minister

As the attacks in Ukraine continue, Russian President Putin will meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Gulf. Abdelatty is expected to meet with senior Russian officials to discuss developments in the region and ways to strengthen cooperation in various areas.

The visit comes after an appeal by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, to Putin with a request that Russia use its "international role" to end the war. Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, had also spoken last week, emphasising the need to ease tensions and prioritise diplomacy in the standoff between Washington and Tehran.

Tusk: 'Nato break-up sounds like Putin's ideal plan'

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) noted how 'the threat of a NATO break-up, the easing of sanctions against Russia, a serious energy crisis in Europe, the suspension of aid to Ukraine, and Orbán's blocking of loans to Kiev' sounds like 'Putin's ideal plan'.

The reference is to the temporary halt to Russian oil sanctions announced in mid-March with a post on X by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Hungarian veto on the 90 billion loan to Ukraine.