The US first lady, Melania Trump, is scheduled to appear at a White House event on Thursday where she will discuss her efforts to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, according to Sky TG24. Her office said she began the initiative on her own, with the aim of halting fighting in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region. The event was set for 11:00 local time, which is 17:00 in Italy, Sky TG24 reported.
The announcement came hours before the appearance. In a note, her office described the engagement as independently launched, without offering further detail on how the effort would work or who would take part.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that preparations are under way for a three-way format involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia at team level. According to Sky TG24, Zelensky said the meeting would take place in less than a week. He also referred to a call of about an hour and a half with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, according to Corriere della Sera. Kushner was quoted as saying the US side appreciates Kyiv's constructive commitment, la Repubblica reported.
Why it matters
The two tracks — a first lady's humanitarian-focused push centred on one region and a formal negotiating channel announced by Zelensky — point to a diplomatic moment that has been rare in this war. Oleshky sits on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson oblast, an area that has seen heavy fighting and repeated shelling. A local ceasefire there would not end the wider war, but it would be the first concrete test of whether the sides can agree on anything on the ground.
The timing also matters because Washington is directly involved in both efforts. A three-way team meeting within days would be the most structured contact among the three capitals in some time, if it happens as described.
Fighting continues across several fronts
The diplomatic signals came as reports of attacks continued on both sides.
According to Sky TG24, a Ukrainian drone struck a logistics centre belonging to the Russian online retailer Ozon in the Republic of Adygea, in southern Russia. All employees were evacuated, the report said.
Russian forces carried out drone attacks on Odesa, damaging homes and road surfaces, according to Sky TG24. Russia's defence ministry said its drones targeted a ship in the port of Odesa that was delivering goods for the Ukrainian army.
In the Ryazan region of Russia, governor Pavel Malkov said the area was hit by a large drone attack overnight, with about 200 drones involved, according to Sky TG24. Malkov said fires broke out at industrial facilities in the city and that falling drone debris caused damage, including to power lines, leaving parts of Ryazan without electricity. He later said supply had been restored. Windows at school No. 58 were shattered, and classes were suspended for the day, Sky TG24 reported.
Social media footage appeared to show explosions and a large fire near the Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia's largest processing plants, according to Sky TG24. The Telegram channel Exilenova+ said drones had reached the refinery's industrial area. The reports could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian officials reported Russian drone attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions that injured at least four people and caused fires at critical and logistics infrastructure, according to Sky TG24. Three people were hurt in the cities of Dnipro and Samar, the regional military administration said. In Dnipro, the attacks set the roof of a house and several garages alight. In the Kyiv region, an attack hit what appeared to be a warehouse of construction materials in the Bucha district, starting a fire, the Kyiv Independent reported. Ukraine's state emergency service confirmed around 7:00 local time that the fire had affected logistics infrastructure.
Hockey decision and a Kremlin ceremony
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russian players will not take part in the world junior ice hockey championships next month, despite a reinstatement decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, according to Sky TG24. Carney said representatives of Russia and Belarus would remain excluded because of the war in Ukraine and Belarus's support for it.
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin marked National Unity Day with official events, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky on Red Square, Sky TG24 reported. Representatives of religious denominations and members of non-governmental and youth organisations attended. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin invited children of those killed during what Russia calls its "special military operation" to have tea at the Kremlin. Anna Tsivileva, a deputy defence minister and head of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, also took part, according to the report.
What to watch
Whether the three-way team meeting materialises within the week Zelensky described, and whether Melania Trump's Oleshky initiative produces any arrangement on the ground, are the two markers to follow.
