Russian missile strike kills 10 in Ukraine as Trump says ‘hatred’ between countries complicating peace deal
A Russian ballistic missile strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killed at least 10 people, including two children, and wounded 16 others Saturday, officials said.
The strike was part of a broader overnight assault in which Russia launched 29 missiles and 480 drones targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with damage reported in Kyiv and at seven other locations across the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy called for an international response following the attack.
“There must be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life. I thank everyone who will not remain silent. Russia has not abandoned its attempts to destroy Ukraine’s residential and critical infrastructure, and therefore support must continue,” he said in a post on X.
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR
“We count on active work with the European Union to guarantee greater protection for our people,” he added. “I am grateful to everyone who helps strengthen our protection.”
Preliminary Ukrainian data showed air defense systems downed 19 missiles and 453 drones, while nine missiles and 26 strike drones hit 22 locations.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian military factories, energy facilities and air bases.
TRUMP SAYS ‘HATRED’ BETWEEN PUTIN, ZELENSKYY BLOCKING UKRAINE PEACE DEAL
Speaking Saturday at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, President Donald Trump said the “hatred” between Russia and Ukraine was complicating efforts to reach a peace deal.
“It’s so great that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you’d think there would be a little bit of camaraderie, [but] there’s not. And the hatred is so great. It’s very hard for them to get there. It’s very, very hard to get there. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But we’ve been close a lot of times and one or the other would back out.”
“But we’re losing, you know, they’re losing, you know, doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating. I’m doing it as a favor to Europe, and I’m doing it as a favor to life because they’re losing 25,000 souls,” Trump added. “Think of that every month. 25,000. Last month, 31,000. Both sides, 31,000 people died, mostly soldiers.”
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Last month, Zelenskyy told Fox News that Russia is trying “to play with the president of the United States” and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
Trump says ‘hatred’ between Putin, Zelenskyy blocking Ukraine peace deal
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the “hatred” between Russia and Ukraine is getting in the way of reaching a peace deal in that conflict, where the death toll is getting worse.
Trump, speaking at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Fla., told world leaders assembled there that, “The hatred between Putin and his counterpart is so great.”
“It’s so great that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you’d think there would be a little bit of camaraderie, [but] there’s not. And the hatred is so great. It’s very hard for them to get there. It’s very, very hard to get there. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But we’ve been close a lot of times and one or the other would back out.”
“But we’re losing, you know, they’re losing, you know, doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating. I’m doing it as a favor to Europe, and I’m doing it as a favor to life because they’re losing 25,000 souls,” Trump added. “Think of that every month. 25,000. Last month, 31,000. Both sides, 31,000 people died, mostly soldiers.”
UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA TRYING ‘TO PLAY’ GAME WITH TRUMP, STALL PEACE TALKS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News in late February that Russia is trying “to play with the president of the United States” and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along its current lines, proposing a ceasefire followed by negotiations. But he said he would not accept a Russian demand for Ukraine to surrender territory the Russian army has not been able to capture in four years of fighting.
RUSSIA LOSING ‘MASSIVE’ 25,000 TROOPS MONTHLY IN UKRAINE AS WAR GRINDS ON, NATO CHIEF SAYS
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in January that Russia is losing between 20,000 and 25,000 troops each month in its war against Ukraine as fighting drags on into a fourth year.
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Rutte told the Renew Europe Global Europe Forum in Brussels at the time that the staggering number of casualties reflects the intensity of Ukraine’s defense but warned that Russia remains NATO’s most significant long-term threat.
Shadow fleet under fire: Iran’s strait shutdown could squeeze Russia’s war chest, China’s oil lifeline
Tehran’s strike campaign threatens to disrupt shadow shipping networks and sanctions-evasion routes, raising energy costs for Moscow and Beijing and potentially squeezing Russia’s war funding and China’s industrial and military supply chains.
As of Monday, the Iranian regime declared the crucial Strait of Hormuz — between Hormuz Island, Iran, and the Omani enclave of Khasab — closed, under threat of vessels being “torched.”
Oil tanker traffic immediately fell sharply as merchant seamen now fear missile strikes, but the conflict has also affected the so-called “shadow fleet” of unflagged or surreptitiously flagged oil tankers connected to economically isolated countries like Cuba, Iran and Russia.
The U.S. has already set up a quasi naval quarantine of oil imports to Cuba, while countries like Mexico have been warned against sending oil to malign regimes.
IRAN STARTS ‘INDISCRIMINATE’ STRIKES ACROSS GULF OF OMAN, HITS SHADOW TANKER TIED TO REGIME
European partners have also taken action against “shadow fleet” vessels, tightening the vise on China and particularly Russia amid the new unrest.
Belgium’s army on Monday interdicted a shadow-fleet tanker called the MT Ethera as it transited the North Sea.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told GCaptain News that the tanker was redirected to Zeebrugge by an escort and would be seized by Brussels.
“Operation Blue Intruder was carried out by a team of exceptionally brave service members. Excellent work,” he said, as the outlet also reported the ship was tied to a confidant of Khamenei.
The MT Ethera is reportedly linked to the son of senior political adviser Ali Shamkhani, whose family reportedly controls an entire fleet of tankers that may be used to facilitate Iranian and Russian oil trade.
RUSSIAN OIL TANKER ‘THE GRINCH’ INTERCEPTED AS US, ALLIES ESCALATE SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN
A consortium of Western powers also enforces the Ural Price Cap, which was dropped to about $44 per barrel last month. Named for the Ural Mountains, the price cap is meant to keep Russian oil below free-market rates.
This newly emboldened Western targeting of the so-called “gray market” of shadow-fleet oil indicates potential problems for nations that rely on it, such as China and Cuba.
China reportedly relies heavily on Iran for otherwise sanctioned oil, while Russia could see further belt-tightening that could adversely affect the cash flow needed to continue its war in Ukraine.
Additionally, CENTCOM this week posted a video of a U.S. strike on a drone-carrying Iranian ship, and Cmdr. Brad Cooper said more than 30 such Tehran-linked vessels have been sunk since the offensive began, according to Naval Today.
“In the last few hours alone, we struck an Iranian drone carrier roughly the size of a World War II-era aircraft carrier, and it is currently on fire,” Cooper told the outlet.
The reported obliteration of the Ayatollah and the next 48 successors, by President Donald Trump’s count, along with the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, leaves not only the shadow fleet but also its customer nations’ suppliers in shambles.
FIRES RAGE AT IRAN’S BANDAR ABBAS NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC STALLED
Just as OPEC rate hikes affect American energy prices, the deconstruction of the shadow fleet could also lead to inflation in China.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department for more information on the effects of the shadow fleet, as it oversees the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
In the past few weeks, OFAC has sanctioned 30 people or entities tied to enabling illegal Iranian oil sales and/or benefiting its weapons production as part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
“OFAC targeted additional vessels operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, which transport Iranian petroleum and petroleum products to foreign markets and serve as the regime’s primary source of revenue for financing domestic repression, terrorist proxies, and weapons programs,” the agency said in a statement.
“Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” added Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people,” Bessent said.
GAS PRICES COULD JUMP AS MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS THREATEN GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY
OFAC then listed off a dozen ships they confirmed to be “shadow fleet” vessels under sanction.
“Instead of allocating this revenue for the benefit of the Iranian people, the regime ultimately siphons it off to fund regional terrorist proxies, weapons programs, and repressive security services, rather than the basic economic needs the Iranian people have repeatedly and courageously demanded,” the Treasury said.
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Ships flagged from Panama, Barbados, Palau, Comoros, Iran and Vanuatu were found by the U.S. to have transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude in recent years.
The Treasury Department, which oversees OFAC, did not respond to inquiries for this story.
Trump criticizes Biden for transferring weapons to Ukraine but insists US is ‘stocked’ to win
President Donald Trump on Monday accused former President Joe Biden of failing to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles, though insisted that the U.S. is still “stocked” to win as Operation Epic Fury continues to devastate Iran.
U.S. munitions at the medium and upper medium grades have “never been higher or better,” Trump said on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform. He added that “we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.”
“Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries (sic) finest arms!),” the president’s post read.
But Trump noted that while the U.S. has a “good” supply of the highest munitions grade, it is “not where we want to be.”
TRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,’ VOWS TO ‘EASILY PREVAIL’ OVER REGIME
“Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,” the post read. “Sleepy Joe Biden spent all of his time, and our Country’s money, GIVING everything to P.T. Barnum (Zelenskyy!) of Ukraine – Hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth – And, while he gave so much of the super high end away (FREE!), he didn’t bother to replace it.”
The U.S. delivered billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Biden approving an additional $500 million of military aid in a security package rushed out the door just days before Trump’s second term began.
“Fortunately, I rebuilt the military in my first term, and continue to do so,” Trump added. “The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!”
“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,” he wrote later. “They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!'”
HEGSETH LAYS OUT ‘CLEAR’ 3-PART MISSION AGAINST IRAN, SAYS WAR ‘IS NOT ENDLESS’
The U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, working with Israel in a joint military campaign that officials say targeted Iranian leadership and key military installations.
Earlier Monday, Trump declared that the operation in Iran is “ahead of schedule,” stating that many of the regime’s military leaders were eliminated in about an hour.
“We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail,” the president said. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes.”
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Trump said that the operation is projected to last four to five weeks, noting that “we have capability to go far longer than that.”
“We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership,” Trump added. “And as you know, that was done in about an hour. So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot.”
Trump ally Orban issues scathing letter demanding Zelenskyy change Ukraine’s ‘anti-Hungarian policy’
Hungary is beefing up security at its energy sites as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accuses Ukraine of threatening his country’s energy supply. Orbán — a vocal ally of President Donald Trump — published a scathing open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he accused Kyiv of pursing an “anti-Hungarian policy.”
“In recent days, you have blocked the Friendship oil pipeline, which is critical to Hungary’s energy supply,” Orbán’s open letter, which he published on X, read. “Your actions are against Hungary’s interests and endanger the secure and affordable energy supply of Hungarian families. I therefore call on you to change your anti-Hungarian policy!”
On Wednesday, Orbán ordered increased security at critical energy infrastructure sites, The Associated Press reported. The prime minister’s order came as Budapest accused Ukraine of blocking the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian oil is delivered to Hungary, but it crosses Kyiv’s territory. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations, according to the AP, saying that the pipeline was hit in a Russian drone attack.
HUNGARY THREATENS TO BLOCK EU LOAN TO UKRAINE UNLESS RUSSIAN OIL SHIPMENTS RESUME
In a video posted on social media, Orbán claimed Ukraine was using an “oil blockade” to pressure Hungary and that Hungarian national security services showed Ukraine was “preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system,” the AP reported.
“We will deploy soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks near key energy facilities,” Orbán said, according to the AP. “The police will patrol with increased forces around designated power plants, distribution stations and control centers.”
The accusations lobbed against Ukraine also come as Orbán faces an upcoming election. As the election nears, Hungary has seen billboards across the country showing AI-generated images of Zelenskyy holding out his hand as if asking for money while surrounded by European officials, according to the AP.
UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA TRYING ‘TO PLAY’ GAME WITH TRUMP, STALL PEACE TALKS
Hungary recently threatened to block a proposed €90 billion European Union loan to Ukraine — worth roughly $106 billion — over the blockade of the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday that “Ukraine is blackmailing” his country and that Kyiv was coordinating with Belgium and the Hungarian opposition to “push fuel prices higher before the elections.”
“By blocking oil transit to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, breaching its commitments to the European Union. We will not give in to this blackmail,” Szijjártó added.
Orbán also accused Ukraine, the Hungarian opposition and Belgium of coordinating to exert pressure on Budapest.
‘DELAYING, STALLING AND BLAMING’: RUSSIA SHOWS LITTLE SIGN OF COMPROMISE AS WAR ENTERS FIFTH YEAR, EXPERT SAYS
In the letter released Thursday, Orbán, who has a close relationship with the Kremlin, also said Ukraine had refused “to accept the position of the sovereign Hungarian government and the Hungarian people regarding the Russia–Ukraine war.” Additionally, he accused Ukraine of trying to “force Hungary” into the war with Russia.
“We, the Hungarian people, are not responsible for the situation in which Ukraine finds itself. We sympathize with the Ukrainian people, but we do not wish to participate in the war. We do not want to finance the war effort, and we do not want to pay more for energy,” Orbán wrote.
The Hungarian prime minister ended his letter with demands that Ukraine reopen the oil pipeline and “refrain from any further attacks on Hungary’s energy security,” as well as a demand for “more respect for Hungary.”
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Neither Zelenskyy’s office nor the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Hundreds of Russian shadow tankers trigger military alarm transiting NATO waters: report
Russian-operated shadow tankers carrying millions of dollars in sanctioned oil are transiting the English Channel, raising warnings of a potential military confrontation in NATO waters, according to reports.
The movements came amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO, with the Royal Navy stepping up surveillance of U.S.- and allied-sanctioned vessels in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
SECOND TANKER SEIZED NEAR VENEZUELA AS US ENFORCES OIL BLOCKADE
Sky News reported Wednesday that as many as 800 shadow tankers had passed through the channel, and continue to bankroll Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Several Russia-linked oil tankers — including the Rigel, Hyperion and Kousai — have been tracked by VesselFinder and are known to be under Western sanctions.
The outlet reported that three of the vessels were monitored this month as they transited loaded with sanctioned crude.
The Rigel, an 885-foot Suezmax-class tanker sailing under a Cameroonian flag, left the Russian port of Primorsk on Feb. 2, with up to one million barrels of oil, a cargo valued at around $55 million.
US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK
Sanctioned by the U.K., the EU and Canada, it is barred from using port facilities in those jurisdictions but is still permitted “innocent passage” under maritime law.
The Kousai, sailing under a Sierra Leonean flag, left Ust-Luga on Feb. 2 and was warned by authorities to provide proof of insurance within 24 hours.
The Hyperion, also sanctioned by the U.S., switched flags after delivering oil to Venezuela, to obscure ownership and evade enforcement, according to reports.
Security experts warned of an increased risk of geopolitical escalation in the region.
SEN. KENNEDY DOUBLES DOWN ON VENEZUELA CRACKDOWN, URGES SANCTIONS TO ‘CHOKE OFF’ FUNDS
Professor Michael Clarke told Sky News that there may come a point when Britain and its allies “get much tougher with these Russian ships,” adding that a “militarized confrontation at sea” this year is a real possibility, in the Channel or the North Sea.
A U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesperson said: “Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government.
“Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels — and as the Secretary of State set out, we will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said.
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The MoD said it has requested proof of insurance from more than 600 suspected vessels since October 2024.
The U.S. has also taken a firm stance, seizing at least seven tankers linked to sanctioned oil trades since December 2025, including several in the Caribbean.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: Russia trying ‘to play’ game with Trump, stall peace talks
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is trying “to play with the president of the United States” and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
In an interview with Fox News in Kyiv, Zelenskyy pushed back on suggestions from President Trump that Ukraine is holding up the peace process.
“We always supported peace,” Zelenskyy said. “When you are at your home, in your house, on your territory, in your city, of course you want to stop it.”
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR
Instead, Zelenskyy charged that Russia is attempting to drag out discussions to avoid making concessions.
“They try to play with the president of the United States,” he said.
Asked by Fox News if he thinks Vladimir Putin is playing a game, Zelenskyy replied, “Yeah, I think so. Yeah. He needs to postpone any kind of negotiations.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along its current lines, proposing a ceasefire followed by negotiations. But he said he would not accept a Russian demand for Ukraine to surrender territory the Russian army has not been able to capture in four years of fighting.
Fox News spoke with Zelenskyy at his offices in Kyiv, a heavily guarded complex where the lights are dimmed and sandbags dot the corridors. Among the grand marble staircases and high ceilings, walls are decorated with giant portraits of soldiers, standing some 12 feet tall.
TRUMP, ZELENSKYY TO MEET SUNDAY, AS UKRAINIAN LEADER VOWS COUNTRY WILL ‘DO WHATEVER IT TAKES’ TO END WAR
Speaking one day after the conflict entered its fifth year, Zelenskyy accepted that some in Ukraine are weary of war. But he said peace proposals so far are heavily tilted toward Russia’s demands.
“Everybody wants peace, and a lot of people are tired,” Zelenskyy said. “But believe me, not everybody is ready … to eat what Putin cooked for us.”
The Ukrainian leader urged President Trump to visit his country, saying, “He will see such a result of the attacks. And he will see how the nation really lives. Not just surviving.”
Despite massive losses, Zelenskyy hailed Ukraine’s fight.
“Russia couldn’t and can’t occupy us. They didn’t win, and for us, it’s a victory. We defended our independence and freedom,” he said.
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“They didn’t change the country. They didn’t change our flag.
“I’m sure that Russia recognized — really recognizes now — that it was a big mistake.”