Russian missile and drone blitz kills 4 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks help in Norway

Russia launched a missile and drone attack on civilian areas in Ukraine, resulting in the death of at least four people, according to officials on Tuesday. This coordinated assault targeted multiple regions, with at least 27 individuals wounded, including children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Norway seeking additional American and European assistance during a visit to the country.

Accompanying Zelenskyy was U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been attempting to facilitate a settlement between Russia and Ukraine. Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, will attend the meeting via videoconference. Additionally, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb were scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy in Oslo.

Ukraine's air defenses intercepted 136 drones originating from Russia over various regions overnight. Zelenskyy expressed concern over the lack of support from the U.S., stating that he had discussed the situation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently on a trip to Asia. Zelenskyy claimed that Russia has slowed down its support for Ukraine and has delayed the delivery of American-made Patriot air defense interceptors.

Furthermore, Zelenskyy requested Rubio's assistance to ensure that the U.S. continues to provide crucial intelligence to Ukraine, as warnings about Russian missile attacks have been late or absent in recent days. The speed restrictions on Ukraine's use of SpaceX's military-grade satellite internet service were also still in effect, hindering battlefield operations.

Trump's recent waiver of sanctions on Russia was criticized by Zelenskyy, as it allegedly enables Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which will mark its fifth anniversary in February.