Russian Missile Attack on Central Ukraine Kills One Person, Wounds Nine

A view of Odessa seaport (archive - Reuters).
A view of Odessa seaport (archive - Reuters).
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Russian Missile Attack on Central Ukraine Kills One Person, Wounds Nine

A view of Odessa seaport (archive - Reuters).
A view of Odessa seaport (archive - Reuters).

A Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih killed a 47-year-old woman and wounded at least nine other people, Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on Wednesday.
The attack also damaged an infrastructure facility, high-rise apartment buildings, administrative buildings, a shop and an educational facility, he added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's home town, has been a frequent target since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Reuters said.
The overnight attack followed US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia where Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US would now take the offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow's court.
The air force said Russia used three missiles to attack Kryvyi Rih and the Black Sea port of Odesa, in addition to sending 133 drones to attack the country overnight.
In Odesa, the missile strike on port infrastructure killed four Syrians and wounded a Ukrainian and a Syrian citizen, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.
The attack damaged the Barbados-flagged "MJ PINA" vessel that was loading wheat for export to Algeria, according to Kuleba, as well as another vessel and grain storage facilities.
Lysak said the overnight attack on the city of Dnipro also wounded one person and damaged infrastructure, enterprises and around 10 private homes, causing fires which have mostly been put out.



NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
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NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File

Ukraine is still getting essential defense equipment despite the war in the Middle East, which is depleting stockpiles in Europe and the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday.

"The good news is that essential equipment into Ukraine continues to flow," he told reporters. That included American-made Patriot missile interceptors, which Ukraine desperately needs, he added, AFP reported.

The PURL program, launched last year, allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

Some 75 percent of the missiles used by Patriot batteries in Ukraine have been supplied through the program, and 90 percent of the munitions used by other air-defense systems, Rutte added.

Rutte called on European countries to increase their own production capacity.

"They need to produce more extra production lines, extra shifts, opening new factories. The money is there," he said.


Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
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Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)

Germany's foreign minister Thursday said it was encouraging if the United States was talking directly to Iran to end the war in the Middle East, but Washington should make its intentions clear.

"I hear that there are signs that the US is speaking directly to Iran. I think that this is encouraging and this is welcome," Johann Wadephul told reporters before heading into the meeting of G7 foreign ministers outside Paris, AFP reported.

With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to join the discussions from Friday, he added: "For the German government it is of great importance to know precisely what our American partners are intending."


US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The United States has sent Iran a "15-point action list" as a basis for negotiations to end the current conflict, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, adding that there are signs that Tehran was interested in making a deal.

 

Witkoff, speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, said that the nascent talks could be successful if the Iranians realize there were no good alternatives - a realization Tehran might be coming to, he argued, Reuters reported.

 

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction," Witkoff told reporters.

 

"We have strong signs that this is a possibility."

 

Witkoff said Pakistan had been acting as a mediator, confirming statements from Pakistani officials.