Ukraine war latest: Russia announces beginning of 'direct talks' with Ukraine; Kyiv hasn't commented yet

Key developments on April 29:

• Putin's Victory Day truce proposal 'is start of direct negotiations' with Ukraine, Lavrov says
• Russia intensifies offensive operations in 3 regions, pushes toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine's military says
• Ukrainian drones reportedly target Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod oblasts in Russia
• Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's eastern villages evacuating families as Russian troops close in
• Europe, Kyiv worry Trump prepares to exit Ukraine peace efforts, FT reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire on Victory Day is the beginning of direct talks with Kyiv, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on April 29 during a press briefing.

"Our proposal, which President Putin voiced, is the start of direct negotiations, without preconditions. In this situation, a ceasefire (for 30 days) is seen as a precondition," Lavrov said.

It is not clear if Lavrov meant direct negotiations would begin at the time of the ceasefire, or if Putin's announcement of it marked their commencement.

Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on Lavrov's statement.

Putin claimed Russian forces would cease all hostilities from May 8 until midnight on May 11 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

Ukraine retorted by calling for a full and unconditional ceasefire, a proposal that Moscow continues to reject.

Following the meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on April 25, Putin told the U.S. about his readiness to enter negotiations with Ukraine "without preconditions."

The Kremlin has repeatedly proclaimed supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of deliberately stalling peace efforts.

Kyiv maintains that it is ready for negotiations but insists any peace process must preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that territorial issues can only be addressed after a full ceasefire.

It has been almost 50 days since Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire first introduced in March. Moscow rejected the plan, demanding a complete halt to Western military aid to Ukraine.

Russia intensifies offensive operations in 3 regions, pushes toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine's military says

Russian forces have recently intensified offensive operations in three Ukrainian oblasts – Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces spokesperson, Vladyslav Voloshyn, said on April 29 during Ukraine's state-run telethon.

The statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a three-day truce in the war against Ukraine to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on May 8-11.

Russian forces have intensified their push toward Novopavlivka, a village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which borders Donetsk Oblast, according to Voloshyn, conducting 23 combat engagements over the past day in the area.

"Fierce fighting continues there, and the enemy is rushing to the border of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblasts," Voloshyn said.

While Donetsk Oblast has been the epicenter of Russia's aggression against Ukraine since 2014 — with significant escalation after the full-scale invasion in 2022 – Russian forces have not yet entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The distance between Novopavlivka and the village of Kotliarivka in Donetsk Oblast, where fighting is ongoing between Russian and Ukrainian troops, is nearly 12 kilometers (8 miles).

Voloshyn added that the situation is "quite turbulent" in the Orikhiv direction in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, near the settlements of Mali Shcherbaky, Lobkove, and Stepove.

"The enemy is trying to break through the line of contact there, reach the bridgehead and capture it, which is not far from Zaporizhzhia. From there, they (Russian forces) can exert fire on our logistics routes that go from Zaporizhzhia to the east of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and to shell Zaporizhzhia itself and its suburbs," Voloshyn said.

According to the spokesperson, the situation has also deteriorated in the Kherson sector of the front line, where Russian troops have made more frequent attempts to seize islands on the Dnipro River.

Though Ukrainian forces sank most Russian boats, some Russian soldiers managed to land on the islands, he added.

"(Russian soldiers) cannot be evacuated from there, and their command is dropping ammunition, water, and food from drones. They stay there for several days. There are cases where they even surrender to our forces," Voloshyn said.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast's eastern villages evacuating families as Russian troops close in

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast authorities on April 28 announced mandatory evacuations of families with children from four eastern villages, as Russian forces advance toward the region's administrative border.

The evacuation order, issued by Governor Serhii Lysak on April 25, concerns the villages of Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka in the Mezhova community.

Anxiety in the area mounts as Russian forces reportedly stand only some 5-15 kilometers (3-9 miles) from the settlements, which lie near the administrative border between Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblasts.

Residents will be evacuated by vehicles and were asked to pack documents, money, medicine, water, and food for a few days, along with other necessities.

Ukrainian drones reportedly target Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod oblasts in Russia

Ukrainian drones attacked the city of Dzerzhinsk in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast overnight on April 29, Governor Gleb Nikitin said.

Nikitin claimed the drone attack had been repelled above two districts in the region, with no consequences reported.

Russian Telegram channel Shot, reportedly close to Russian security forces, reported explosions in Ryazan, claiming that drones may have targeted an oil refinery.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian air defense shot down 91 Ukrainian drones, including eight over Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and 11 over Ryazan Oblast.

Drones were also downed in Kursk, Oryol, Moscow, Belgorod, Kaluga, Bryansk oblasts, and in Russian-occupied Crimea, the ministry reported.

The Ukrainian forces have not yet commented on the attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Dzerzhinsk lies around 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border, while Ryazan is around 500 kilometers (310 miles) away.

Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial facilities in the rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its all-out war.

In the meantime, Russia continues regularly targeting Ukrainian cities and villages with drones, missiles, glide bombs, and artillery, resulting in heavy civilian casualties.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 37 of the 100 attack and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Forty-seven decoy drones disappeared from radars without causing damage, according to the statement.

Europe, Kyiv worry Trump prepares to exit Ukraine peace efforts, FT reports

European and Ukrainian officials are concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump is about to use minor progress in peace talks as an excuse to leave the process, the Financial Times (FT) reported on April 28, citing undisclosed sources.

Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with both Ukraine and Russia as his self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a settlement is coming to an end.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the coming week will be decisive for Washington's future involvement, even as Kyiv warns about "dangerous" repercussions of the U.S.'s exit.

"This is going to be a really important week in which we're going to have to decide whether we want to continue to engage in this effort, or whether it's time for us to shift our focus to other issues that are just as, if not more, important," Rubio said.

European and Ukrainian officials are now convinced that Trump will seek to portray any kind of breakthrough as a justification to walk away, even without achieving stable and lasting deal, the FT reported.

According to the outlet, U.S. officials worry that their talks with Russia are leading nowhere and have begun discussing short-term solutions that would fit into Trump's timeline.

"This is a very dangerous moment. I don't think it sends a very good signal if the U.S. pulls out. We really hope that President Trump will support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia," Zelensky said last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced a three-day ceasefire on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The move was dismissed by both Washington and Kyiv, who instead called for a complete halt to hostilities.

Ukraine maintains that a full and unconditional ceasefire must be the first step toward peace talks, a proposal that Russia continues to reject.

The Kremlin recently proclaimed its readiness to enter into talks with Ukraine "without preconditions," even as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated maximalist demands, including international recognition of Moscow's annexation of Ukrainian territories.

Zelensky met Trump in the Vatican on April 26 for a brief meeting that was described by both sides as positive. The U.S. president followed up the discussion with a social media post criticizing Putin over aerial attacks on Ukraine and reiterating threats of sanctions.

Trump has repeatedly warned he would impose additional economic measures against Russia, but has yet to take the step. In turn, the new U.S. administration has exerted considerably greater pressure on Ukraine, even briefly pausing all military aid in March.

The U.S. has been Kyiv's leading military supporter throughout the full-scale war, though Trump is yet to approve any new aid package. A possible exit from the peace efforts raises concerns that the U.S. might also cease all backing for Ukraine, including intelligence support.

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