Volodymyr Zelenskyy has provided a new update on the Russian attack that devastated a residential block in the city of Ternopil on Thursday, causing one of the worst massacres since the war in Ukraine began. So far, 26 people have been confirmed dead, including three children, and there are still 22 missing individuals.
Meanwhile, United States has reportedly informed the Ukrainian president that he must accept a peace framework crafted by Washington and Moscow, which would involve Ukraine ceding territory to Russia and reducing its military, according to two Reuters sources. The potential agreement comes at a critical time for Zelenski, facing Russian advances in the east and an internal corruption scandal.
According to Axios, the U.S. plan, reportedly developed without Kiev's involvement, would require Ukraine to relinquish control of eastern areas it currently does not hold in exchange for security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
This Thursday, the EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, along with several Foreign Ministers of member countries, including Spanish José Manuel Albares, have emphasized that peace can only be achieved with the involvement of Europeans and Ukrainians.
Kiev Announces Russia Has Returned 1,000 Bodies to Ukraine
Russia returned 1,000 bodies to Ukraine on Thursday, presented as those of Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat, as announced by the Ukrainian government agency responsible for prisoners of war.
"Today, repatriation measures were carried out. One thousand bodies, presented by the Russian side as those of Ukrainian military personnel, have been returned to Ukraine," stated the Ukrainian government's Center for Prisoners of War in Telegram. The identification of the repatriated bodies will be carried out "soon" by investigators and experts from the Ministry of the Interior.
The last repatriation of bodies took place at the end of October and also involved 1,000 bodies. This new delivery brings the total number of bodies handed over by Russia to Ukraine since the beginning of the year to over 15,000. Meanwhile, Ukraine has returned a few hundred bodies to Russia in the same period, as reported by AFP.
Hungary Supports U.S. and Russia Peace Plan for Ukraine Without Prior Knowledge
Hungary supports the 28-point peace plan negotiated between the United States and Russia and wants the European Union to immediately halt payments to Ukraine over the corruption scandal that has implicated the government of Volodymyr Zelenski.
"The U.S. president is still absolutely committed to advancing his peace efforts, absolutely committed to trying to make peace in Ukraine, and we Hungarians are absolutely committed to supporting his plans and efforts," stated Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó upon arriving at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. Szijjártó admitted to not knowing "exactly the 28 points, or whatever they are," but reaffirmed Hungary's support for Washington's plans.
"I know that the Americans are still working on bringing peace back to that central part of Europe," said Szijjártó, who reiterated Hungary's willingness to offer Budapest as a meeting place for the United States and Russia, adding that it will take place when the parties believe the meeting can "yield a finalizable result in an agreement that brings peace back to Central Europe." EFE reports.
The Hungarian minister anticipated that Budapest's positions will gain weight in Brussels with the victory of Andrej Babis in the Czech Republic elections, with whom Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is "in constant contact."
"They are friends, allies, and founders of Patriots for Europe, and it is normal for there to be constant contact between them," said the diplomatic chief.
"I am sure there will be great collaboration between Prime Minister Babis, Prime Minister Orban, and Prime Minister (of Slovakia, Robert) Fico in the European Council. Speaking in terms of dimension, there will be a completely different situation: free, strong, sovereign, and patriotic Central European prime ministers; it will be a different story from the current one," he concluded. EFE
Poland Requests Extradition of Suspects from Belarus for Train Sabotage
Poland has requested the extradition of two Ukrainian citizens accused of carrying out sabotage on the railway network on behalf of Russia from Belarus, as reported by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, according to Reuters. Warsaw claims that the two men fled to Belarus after two acts of sabotage on Sunday on a railway line towards Ukraine, one involving an explosion.
The request was delivered to the Belarusian chargé d'affaires in Warsaw on Wednesday, according to the state news agency PAP. Prosecutors have charged the men, identified as Oleksandr K. and Yevhenii I., in absentia for sabotage on Poland's railway network.
Tensions between Poland and Belarus have reached new lows since Minsk's ally, Russia, invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to an email request for comments on the Polish petition.
Russian Army Accelerates Advance in Zaporizhia
The Russian army has accelerated its advance in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia in the last hours with the capture of another locality in the area, as reported today by the Russian Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel. The newly captured locality is Vesele, located 120 kilometers from the regional capital, currently under Kiev's control.
Last weekend, Russia reported the capture of several localities in Zaporizhia, where Moscow's troops have intensified their offensive.
Simultaneously, the Russian army is increasing pressure on the defenders of the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, with the capture of several localities around the city and street fighting within the city. EFE reports.
Russian Duma: Any EU Asset Seizure Must Be Met with Actions Against Belgium and Euroclear
The Russian parliament stated on Thursday that any seizure of Russian assets by the European Union must be met with legal actions against Belgium and Euroclear, the Belgium-based depository where the assets are frozen. In a resolution, it also proposed using assets of non-residents from "hostile countries" to compensate for the losses imposed on Russia, as reported by Reuters.
The European Commission has proposed a plan that would allow EU governments to use up to 185 billion euros, most of the 210 billion euros in currently frozen Russian sovereign assets in Europe, to provide loans to Ukraine, though without confiscating them.
Russia Claims to Have Shot Down Four Storm Shadow Missiles
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its forces had shot down four Storm Shadow missiles, as reported by Russian news agencies on Thursday.
Additionally, the ministry announced that Russian troops had taken control of the settlement of Vesele in the Zaporizhia region in eastern Ukraine.
Albares: Any Plan for Ukraine Cannot Be Made "Behind the Backs" of Kiev and the EU
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, stated on Thursday that any plan regarding the future of Ukraine cannot be made "behind the backs" of that country and the European Union (EU), as reported by Efe.
"Any decision regarding the future of Ukraine, a sovereign state with a legitimate government, that of President Zelenski, democratically elected, cannot be made behind Ukraine's back, nor behind the European Union and Europeans either," Albares said upon arriving at an EU Foreign Ministers' meeting.
"And not only can it not be done behind their backs, but they must be at the absolute center of any decision," he insisted, when asked about the 28-point plan allegedly secretly developed by the White House and inspired by the 20-point plan used to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war, as reported by Axios on Wednesday.