Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky hails Trump’s efforts to end war and ‘preliminary results’ in Florida peace talks

Ukrainian naval drones have struck two tankers linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” as they moved through the Black Sea, in what appears to be a sharp escalation of Kyiv’s efforts to target the revenue fuelling Moscow’s war.

Video has emerged purporting to show fast-moving waterborne drones slamming into the vessels and erupting into fireballs, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.

Turkish authorities identified the ships as the Kairos and the Virat, both sailing under the flag of the Gambia. The Kairos was hit off Turkey’s south-western coast on Friday and the Virat in a central area farther east; the Virat was reportedly struck a second time on Saturday. No crew injuries were reported.

The tankers are understood to belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet” – a term used for hundreds of older or obscurely owned ships that transport Russian oil in defiance of Western sanctions imposed after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Data from the London Stock Exchange shows both vessels are already listed as subject to sanctions.

Ukraine used Sea Baby naval drones, a type of explosive-laden craft developed by the country’s security service, the SBU, for maritime attacks. Turkish officials said rescue teams had been supporting the damaged tankers and released video of Turkish boats attempting to extinguish the blaze aboard the Kairos.

The strikes serve as a pointed warning from Kyiv that ships moving Russian oil through the Black Sea could face direct attack, not merely financial restrictions.

In a separate incident, a key pipeline operator said it had halted loading at the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after an overnight assault by unmanned boats damaged one of its mooring points.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium – majority-owned by Russia and Kazakhstan, with additional stakes held by Western energy giants including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Shell – said the damage was significant.

President Trump said that talks about a peace deal with Russia were ‘going along well’ hours after secretary of state Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian officials and expressed optimism about progress despite challenges ending the war.

“They are going along and they are going along well,” he told Reuters. “We want to stop people from being killed.”On being asked about his interaction with Marco Rubio over the peace negotiations, he said: “I have spoken to them. They are doing well.

“Ukraine’s got some difficult little problems,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, referring to the corruption scandal, which he said was “not helpful.”

He repeated his view that both Russia and Ukraine wanted to end the war and said there was a good chance a deal could be reached.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday expressed cautious optimism about the latest round of discussions between Kyiv and Washington, describing the ongoing diplomatic engagement as both “constructive” and deeply focused on Ukraine’s core interests.

According to Zelensky, Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov reported back to him on “some preliminary results” from the talks in the United States.

Zelensky emphasised that “it is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues were discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests”.

The president also underscored Ukraine’s appreciation for the level of engagement from Washington. He thanked the United States – specifically President Trump’s team, and the former president himself – for the “intensive” effort being invested into charting a path toward ending the war.

“I am grateful to the United States, to President Trump’s team, and to the President personally for the time that is being invested so intensively in defining the steps to end the war,” Zelensky said.

At least one person was killed and 19 others wounded in Russian drone and missile strikes, as US and Ukrainian officials met for peace talks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky claims Russia bombarded Ukraine with 122 drone strikes and two ballistic missiles.

It comes as Turkey condemned Ukraine’s use of a sea drone to target Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea.

A delegation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s advisers and top officials met with lead U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Miami on Sunday ahead of a trip to meet with Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday.

On the agenda is the 28-point peace plan proposed by the U.S. this month, which has drawn apparent skepticism from both Ukraine and its European allies, given reports that it drew heavily from a Russian-authored plan submitted to the State Department in October.

Ukraine’s secretary of national security had thanked the US and its officials for their support earlier on Sunday.

“US is hearing us, US is supporting us, US is walking besides us,” Rustem Umerov said in English before the talks began.

After the meeting, he declared it productive. “We discussed all the important matters that are important for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people and US was super supportive,” he said.

A meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Florida on Sunday was “very productive,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that work still remains towards ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“There are a lot of moving parts, and obviously there’s another party involved here that will have to be a part of the equation, and that will continue later this week, when Mr. Witkoff travels to Moscow, although we’ve also been in touch in varying degrees with the Russian side, but we have a pretty good understanding of their views as well,” Mr Rubio told reporters.

Territorial disagreements remain key sticking points as Russia and Ukraine tentatively advance peace negotiations.

Russia currently occupies 20 per cent of Ukraine, and wants further control over more of major regions including the Donbas.