Putin takes calls from Nordic leaders as Kyiv bridge is hit
Finnish and Norwegian leaders spoke to the Russian president on Tuesday, the day after Ukrainian and Russian forces exchanged heavy strikes on transport and logistics targets.
By Lucas Navarro ·
Russian forces launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones at Kyiv overnight, hitting the city's South Bridge. Officials in the capital reported that emergency crews were still clearing debris from the initial strikes when Russian forces launched a second wave of attacks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as a serious escalation in the Russian campaign against Ukrainian logistics.
The attacks extended beyond the capital. Russian forces targeted transport infrastructure in Kyiv and a logistics hub in the Kharkiv region, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. The ministry stated on Telegram that it also struck industrial sites and cargo vessels it claimed were serving military purposes. In the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region, a drone strike on a bus killed one person and injured 30 others. A separate drone attack on the Russian city of Bryansk, near the Ukrainian border, resulted in one death and six injuries.
These strikes occurred as the warring sides prepared for technical meetings. Kyiv and Moscow agreed on Friday to hold United States-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi in early November. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called President Vladimir Putin from Helsinki on Tuesday to convey messages regarding these future negotiations. The two leaders stated in a joint release that the war's outcome would directly affect the security of their nations and Europe more widely.
Stubb said ending the conflict requires direct discussions. Store noted that the pair stressed the importance of de-escalation during the call with Putin. Both leaders clarified that they spoke for their own countries rather than for Europe as a whole. They confirmed that Finnish and Norwegian support for Ukraine would continue despite the diplomatic contact.
Zelenskyy spoke to Stubb and Store after their call with Putin. He said on social media that the Nordic leaders told the Russian president that real steps were needed to de-escalate attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities and infrastructure. He added that the discussions included preparations for the November talks. Zelenskyy stated that Russia must stop dragging out the war.
The calls represent rare direct contact between Western European leaders and Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The Finnish and Norwegian governments described Tuesday's call as a follow-up to discussions held in Oslo on October 20. Those earlier talks involved Zelenskyy and United States special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg the following day, after which the Kremlin said it was ready to resume stalled US-mediated talks.
The diplomatic activity coincides with a renewed push to end the war. United States President Donald Trump credited his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, with securing a localized ceasefire in the southern Kherson region. That ceasefire took effect on Tuesday to allow aid into the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky.
