Ukraine strikes Russia's Arctic gas region as U.S. pushes for talks

Ukrainian drones struck deep inside Russia's Arctic north on Wednesday, causing a fire at an industrial site in Novy Urengoy, officials said. The city is in Russia's main natural gasproducing region, and authorities said air defenses intercepted the attack while debris sparked the blaze. Damage and the exact target were still being assessed. The strike came as the United States renewed efforts to restart peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. President Donald Trump said he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested both sides may be open to negotiations. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend, but the talks did not produce a breakthrough. At the same time, both countries continued longrange attacks. Russia launched fresh drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and other areas, while Ukraine said it hit targets near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The fighting has continued to raise the civilian toll, with the United Nations reporting thousands of deaths and injuries since Russia's fullscale invasion began in 2022.