Russia and Ukraine Trade Deadly Strikes Ahead of Zelenskyy-Trump Meeting

Russia and Ukraine exchanged deadly overnight strikes Tuesday, with Moscow killing five people across four Ukrainian regions and Kyiv damaging another Russian oil refinery, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Zelenskyy seeks help to end Russia's over four-and-a-half-year invasion, proposing de-escalation measures including a truce on energy infrastructure strikes and a Black Sea moratorium, while also pressing for more Patriot air defense systems. The war has caused over 500,000 casualties on each side, and repeated attacks on Russian refineries have contributed to global diesel shortages and price spikes. The conflict has disrupted grain exports, with Russia and Ukraine accounting for about 30% of world wheat exports, and last month's attacks slashed their agricultural exports by two-thirds, risking famine in several African countries. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged more radars to protect Ukraine's power grid.