Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1365: Trump team drafts peace plan with Putin envoy while Russia kills 26 in Ternopil strike

Exclusives

Peering through fog, Ukrainian jets and drones blast Russian troops in Pokrovsk. Ukraine's best manned and unmanned aircraft can see through bad weather. But they're too few to stop the Russians.

US sanctions ignite $22B Lukoil asset fire sale. Exxon and Chevron circle Iraq and Kazakhstan assets as markets worry about oversupply.

Leak exposes Kremlin-funded "legal aid" network as new front in Russian hybrid warfare in Ukraine. Russian state fund quietly backed lawyers, draft-dodging advice, and propaganda sites.

Why are Ukraine's Mirage 2000 jets carrying 40-year-old missiles?. Arming a Mirage 2000 fighter with the old Magic 2 missile handicaps the jet—by limiting its reach during air-defenses sorties.

From FPV radars to prosthetic drone controls: Kyiv hackathon speeds wartime innovation. The European Defense Tech Hackathon was the first event of its kind held in Kyiv. The winning teams will go on to develop and implement these solutions for the military, under the guidance and supervision of experienced service members.

Military

No clear goal in Pokrovsk — ISW says Russia trying to encircle and storm towns simultaneously. Ukrainian defenders now face glide bombs, southward incursions, and northwest flanking attempts — all at once. ISW: Russian forces try to apply Pokrovsk-style tactics in Siversk and Lyman against Ukraine's Fortress Belt. The Kremlin is using a mix of weather-aided raids, artillery-coordinated drones, and forward infiltration near key defense axes.

Intelligence and technology

"This tragedy could have been prevented": Russia kills 25 Ukrainian civilians with missile produced with US, German, Dutch parts (VIDEO). The cruise missile was produced just three months ago.

International

French-built locomotives for Ukraine to replace aging fleet as its railways fight war and plan EU future. Alstom-UZ deal ties wartime logistics to long-term reconstruction Ukraine offered "Kremlin peace plan": Halve armed forces, cede territories, abandon weapons, accept Russian as official language. This means de-facto "Ukraine's capitulation." Media: US presents Ukraine with peace framework requiring territorial concessions and military cuts. The Trump administration may propose Ukraine to accept the main points of a US-drafted peace plan with Russia that calls for cutting the size of Ukrainian armed forces and ceding territory, sources told Reuters, while a Pentagon delegation arrived in Kyiv to discuss battlefield conditions and nascent peace efforts. Trump team meets top Putin envoy for three days in Miami — drafts secret Ukraine peace deal, Axios says. Kyiv remains sidelined, while Russian official Kirill Dmitriev said Trump's envoy was receptive to Moscow's position.

Humanitarian and social impact

Lviv prepares new burial ground for fallen soldiers, as its main military cemetery has only 19 spaces left. Former "Hill of Glory" becomes Section 87 for Ukraine's fallen defenders. Russia kills 26 civilians in Ternopil, wounds more than a hundred across Ukraine in massive air assault on power grid (PICTURES, UPDATED). In Kharkiv, nearly 20 drones slammed into neighborhoods, destroying homes, shops, and city infrastructure in a targeted night attack.

Political and legal developments

Two Ukrainian ministers dismissed amid $100M Energoatom corruption scandal.

New developments

Ukrainian-language music consumption jumps to 57% as streaming data shows cultural shift during war. The study shows consumption of Ukrainian-language music has climbed to 57% in 2025, nearly double the 33% recorded before the full-scale invasion began. Russia's first major African naval base since USSR suspended, as war against Ukraine drains resources. Russia abandons Indian Ocean ambitions. While Ukrainian game "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl" becomes global hit, Russia bans studio for "aggressive Russophobia". One of the game developer's died defending Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast in 2022. Read our earlier daily review here.