Zelensky says dozens dead, missing in Russian strike days before US talks

A day after Russian strikes on a Ukrainian village, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed dozens were killed and more than 50 could be trapped under rubble. Zelensky described the attack as one of the worst in the war. Russia intensified its assault on Ukraine after a truce ended last weekend, causing concerns for a breakthrough at upcoming US-led talks in Abu Dhabi.

Rescue efforts continued in Komyshuvakha, where a former school building was struck, with 33 victims and over 50 potentially still buried. Zelensky blamed the strike on Moscow, while a Russian strike on a hospital in Kharkiv left four Ukrainian civilians dead. Zelensky's visit to Berlin aimed to set the stage for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has consistently refused face-to-face negotiations.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed doubts about Russia's willingness to engage seriously in ending the conflict and urged Ukraine to be included in the US-led Abudhabi talks. The ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump last week was undermined by Moscow's recent strikes. Ukrainian officials fear the involvement of US President Donald Trump, who has a close relationship with Putin, could complicate the negotiations.