One Killed in Crimea Attack as Trump Holds Separate Calls with Putin and Zelenskyy on Ukraine

MOSCOW: A Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea killed one person and injured two others early Sunday, according to Moscow-installed officials, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held separate telephone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, said the attack occurred in the northern part of the peninsula, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured. He did not provide details about the type of attack.

The incident came as Ukraine continues to intensify long-range strikes on military and logistical targets in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 but remains internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. Kyiv views the peninsula as a key strategic target in its campaign to disrupt Russian military operations.

The attack coincided with separate telephone calls between President Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. President Zelenskyy said he discussed the battlefield situation with Trump and expressed hope that sustained diplomatic engagement could help bring an end to the conflict. He also said the two leaders agreed to continue discussions during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

The Kremlin described Trump’s nearly 90-minute conversation with President Putin as constructive. Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Trump reiterated his willingness to help achieve a peaceful settlement, while Putin maintained that Russia preferred a diplomatic solution but insisted its security concerns must be addressed.

According to the Kremlin, Putin also claimed Russian forces had captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, a claim that Ukraine has denied. Fighting continues across several frontlines despite renewed diplomatic contacts aimed at ending the conflict, now in its fifth year.