Putin Says Ready For Peace Talks, But Not With ‘Illegitimate’ Zelenskyy

Officials in multiple Russian regions reported major Ukrainian drone strikes overnight targeting energy infrastructure, including a nuclear power site, while the Ukrainian and Russian presidents exchanged insults over the possibility of peace negotiations.

Government officials in Russia’s Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Kursk, Leningrad, and Bryansk regions said their areas had been hit by Ukrainian drones on January 28-29, while airports in Kazan and St. Petersburg temporarily suspended traffic, citing safety concerns.

“In various areas of the Smolensk region, civilian objects are being subjected to a massive attack” by drones,” Governor Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram.

“Air defense and electronic warfare systems of the Russian Defense Ministry are destroying them…One of the drones was shot down during an attempt to attack a nuclear power facility. There were no casualties or damages,” Anokhin added.

No additional information was provided, but the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is a major power-generating facility some 100 kilometers from Smolensk city.

Meanwhile, Gleb Nikitin, governor of Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, said a drone fell on the territory of a fuel and energy complex in the Kstovsky industrial zone but did not cause injuries or major damage.

“Special services are working at the site and all the necessary means are being used to localize the fire at one of the oil refining units,” Nikitin said.

Regional governors in the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border and in Tver near Moscow also reported drone attacks, although they said there were no casualties or damage.

Authorities at the airport in Kazan — capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan — said all flights had been halted to ensure safety, although details of any attack were not immediately disclosed.

State-run TASS news agency also reported that arrivals and departures were temporarily halted at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg to ensure air-traffic safety, although further details were not released.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its defenses shot down 104 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions overnight, but it was not possible to independently confirm the claims.

Both sides in the war have stepped up the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones in recent months, often targeting the enemy’s energy infrastructure.

Russia has also caused widespread destruction of Ukrainian civilian sites with drones, rockets, artillery, and various types of bombs. The Kremlin has denied it targets civilian areas despite evidence of such attacks.

Inside Ukraine, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said two women were killed due to a Russian missile attack on the city of Mykolayiv.

Off the battlefield, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “afraid” to enter into negotiations on ending the war after the Kremlin leader ruled out direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.

“Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelenskiy wrote on X.

“Every move he makes and all his cynical tricks are aimed at making the war endless,” he added.

Earlier, Putin told Russian state TV that talks with Ukraine were possible but not with Zelenskiy, whom he deemed as “illegitimate” because his presidential term expired while the country was under martial law.

“But essentially, if they want to proceed, there is a legal way to do it. Let the chairman of the [Ukrainian parliament] handle it in accordance with the constitution,” Putin said.

“However, so far, we simply do not see such a desire,” he added.

Meanwhile, Axios reported the U.S. military transferred some 90 Patriot air-defense missiles from storage in Israel to Poland this week with an aim to deliver them to Ukraine.

The report, citing three people with knowledge of the operation, said the Israeli Air Force decommissioned the Patriot air defense system more than 30 years after it was given to Israel during the first Gulf War.

After the Israelis announced the decommissioning, Kyiv suggested to U.S. and Israeli officials that Israel return the missiles to the U.S. military to be refurbished and then sent to Ukraine.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Axios