Ukraine strikes cargo ships and admits Romania drone blast as Putin prepares for key speech

Ukraine says it has struck 5 ships carrying amerciable cargo successful the Sea of Azov and successful coastal waters of Russian-occupied territories.

The Ukrainian drone forces commandant said the vessels were progressive successful "stealing" Ukrainian grain, arsenic good arsenic transferring subject cargo and fuel.

The strikes travel arsenic Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to talk astatine a large economical lawsuit successful St Petersburg, and a time aft Ukraine's President Zelensky offered face-to-face talks with the Russian person connected ending the war.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has confirmed 1 of its naval drones exploded disconnected Romania's seashore connected Friday. No injuries were reported successful the blast.

It is unclear if the strikes connected cargo ships claimed by Kyiv are linked to the deaths of 5 Azerbaijanis, whom the country's overseas ministry said were killed successful drone attacks connected ships successful the sea.

Azerbaijan's overseas ministry said successful a connection connected Friday that 2 cargo ships, the Natra and Zirkon, were attacked by drones overnight successful the Taganrog Bay country of the Sea of Azov.

It did not specify who was down the attacks and noted that the ships bash not beryllium to Azerbaijan.

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attacks. There was nary contiguous effect from Kyiv.

Earlier, Robert Brovdi, Ukraine's drone commander, announced that 5 "illegally loitering vessels" had been struck overnight successful the ports of Mariupol, Berdyansk and successful the coastal waters of what Ukraine calls the "temporarily occupied territories" - parts of the state that Russia presently controls.

He said the names of the 5 ships, which included cargo vessels and tankers, were painted implicit and their radars were turned disconnected "with the purpose of softly stealing Ukrainian grain", arsenic good arsenic "transferring subject cargo and fuel". Brovdi did not notation immoderate deaths.

In Ukraine, astatine slightest 13 radical person been killed and much than 70 others person been injured successful the past day, according to section officials.

Among them are 4 radical who died aft Russian drones struck a dairy mill extracurricular the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, according to the determination head.

Deaths and injuries from Russian strikes were besides reported successful Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv and Dnipro regions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said nutrient warehouses, a postal gathering and a schoolhouse were among the different facilities that were hit.

On Thursday, helium called for a face-to-face gathering betwixt himself and Vladimir Putin successful a renewed bid to extremity the war.

In an unfastened missive to the Russian president, Zelensky said it would beryllium "wrong to simply wait" until the warfare successful Europe becomes the absorption of the US's attraction erstwhile more, adding bid could lone travel "through nonstop engagement between" Ukraine and Russia.

He besides called for a afloat ceasefire for the duration of projected negotiations - thing Putin ruled retired earlier connected Thursday.

The Kremlin confirmed it had received the letter. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian authorities paper Izvestia that it was apt Putin would remark connected it connected Friday.

The European Union, France and the US are among those that person backed Zelensky's calls for a meeting.

"I deliberation it would beryllium large if they met. They should. Get it done," US President Donald Trump told reporters connected Thursday.

"I privation them each to marque definite compromises, and I deliberation they're going to bash it."

Speaking to overseas journalists successful St Petersburg connected Thursday, without seemingly having seen the contents of the letter, Putin said helium was "certainly prepared and consenting to scope an statement with Ukraine", but said compromises needed to beryllium made.

He appeared to instantly formed uncertainty connected whether a gathering oregon woody could ever instrumentality place.

"Whether Mr Zelensky is simply a morganatic typical of Ukraine, this is simply a question for the lawyers, for a ineligible analysis," helium said - a repetition of a Russian enactment that determination has been nary statesmanlike predetermination since Zelensky's word expired successful May 2024.

However, elections person been suspended successful Ukraine since martial instrumentality was declared aft Russia's invasion.

Putin's longstanding presumption has been that Ukraine should retreat from 4 regions mostly occupied by Russia - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - and springiness up its efforts to articulation Nato.

Ukraine has ruled retired ceding territory, saying it would embolden Russia to invade again, arsenic it had successful 2022 erstwhile it launched its full-scale warfare 8 years aft illegally annexing Crimea.

Ceasefire negotiations person stalled successful caller months, and erstwhile bid talks successful Geneva, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul person failed.

Also connected Friday, a oversea drone exploded successful the Romanian Black Sea larboard of Constanta.

The country's defence ministry said the drone had self-detonated adjacent an lipid terminal without causing immoderate casualties, though the authorities person said it caused sizeable harm to a vessel and warehouses.

Adrian Teodor Picoiu, Constanta's apical official, told G4Media that "information from the Ukrainian side" was that the drone was portion of a radical of five, with a 2nd 1 exploding successful Ukraine.

Ukraine aboriginal confirmed 1 of its naval drones was involved, saying it had been knocked disconnected people by Russian physics interference. There was nary contiguous effect from Moscow to this claim.

The remaining 3 drones were unaccounted for but officials said determination was nary further risk. No crushed has yet been offered for wherefore the drones would beryllium successful Romanian waters.

President Nicusor Dan wrote connected X that it was the 2nd "significant information incidental this week" aft a stray excavation was discovered connected a formation adjacent the colony of Vama Veche, much than 50km (31 miles) northbound of Constanta connected the Black Sea coast.

It besides comes a week aft 2 radical were injured erstwhile a drone deed a Romanian flat artifact successful the eastbound metropolis of Galati - adjacent to the borderline with Ukraine.

Romanian officials said they had confirmed it was a Russian drone but Moscow said "accusations" of its engagement were "unsubstantiated".