Russian strike kill two in Kherson, Ukraine says as Trump speak to Putin amid 'impasse' on ending war in Ukraine

Two elderly civilians were killed in separate Russian attacks on Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, local police and regional officials said Monday.

A 75-year-old woman died and two others were injured after Russian shelling struck a central part of the city of Kherson late Sunday, according to reports posted on Telegram by local authorities.

Meanwhile, a 76-year-old man was killed in a drone strike Monday morning targeting a residential area in the Kakhovka district along the Dnipro River, police said.

Photos shared by Ukrainian police showed scenes of destruction, including damaged vehicles and buildings. Authorities said the attacks damaged 17 private homes, two apartment buildings, a factory, and other infrastructure.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has not yet responded to the reports. The drone strike comes just a day after Russia carried out its largest drone attack of the war.

Amid escalating violence, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Monday, as the White House intensifies diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

Trump, who has repeatedly called for an end to the “bloodbath” in Ukraine and cast the war as a U.S.-Russia proxy conflict, recently pressured both sides to resume negotiations. Last week, Ukrainian and Russian delegates met in Istanbul for the first time since 2022 following a renewed push for dialogue.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, speaking ahead of Trump’s call with Putin, acknowledged the stalemate in negotiations. “We recognize there's a bit of an impasse,” Vance told reporters in Italy. “I think the President's going to say to Putin, ‘Are you serious about peace?’”

Vance added, “It takes two to tango. President Trump is ready, but if Russia isn’t willing, we may eventually say, ‘This isn’t our war.’ We’ll try to end it, but we’re not going to continue indefinitely.”

Trump’s administration has warned that Russia could face additional sanctions if it fails to engage seriously in peace efforts. Trump is also expected to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key NATO leaders.

Despite international pressure, Putin has held firm to Russia’s demands. In June 2024, he reiterated that Ukraine must abandon its NATO aspirations and withdraw from all four regions that Moscow claims as its own.

As Russian forces continue to advance and now control roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, there are growing calls for a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that Putin must demonstrate a desire for peace by accepting a 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by Trump and supported by Ukraine and European nations.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also discussed the conflict with leaders from the U.S., Italy, France, and Germany, according to Downing Street.

However, Putin remains hesitant to pause fighting, insisting that key conditions must first be addressed before any ceasefire can begin.

Ukraine’s intelligence services claimed that Russia had plans to test an intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, though this has not been confirmed by Moscow.