Russia to ‘interrogate’ two suspects in attempted assassination of top military general
Russia said it plans to “interrogate” two suspects in the attempted assassination of a top military intelligence official who was ambushed in Moscow Friday, according to a Russian newspaper.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that two suspects in the shooting of Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev “will soon be interrogated,” citing a source close to the investigation.
After questioning, the suspects are expected to be charged, the report said, according to Reuters.
Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, was shot three times in his Moscow apartment building Friday and rushed to a hospital.
ZELENSKYY CLAIMS US GAVE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA A DEADLINE TO REACH PEACE AGREEMENT
The Associated Press reported that the business daily Kommersant said the shooter posed as a delivery person and shot Alekseyev twice in the stairway of his apartment building, injuring him in the foot and arm. Alekseyev reportedly attempted to wrest the weapon away and was shot again in the chest before the attacker fled, the report said.
Kommersant reported that Alekseyev underwent successful surgery and regained consciousness Saturday but remained under medical supervision.
Russian news outlet TASS reported the surgery was successful and that Alekseyev’s injuries were not life-threatening.
RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED BY CAR BOMB, THIRD SENIOR MILITARY LEADER KILLED THIS YEAR
The outlet reported that the Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation on charges of attempted murder and illicit trafficking in firearms.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the assassination attempt, alleging — without providing evidence — that it was intended to sabotage peace talks. Ukraine denied any involvement.
Alekseyev, 64, has been under U.S. sanctions over alleged Russian cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The European Union also sanctioned him over the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The assassination attempt came as President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The warring nations agreed to a prisoner swap this week, according to readouts posted on X by U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff and Ukraine’s national security and defense council Minister Rustem Umerov.
Zelenskyy claims US gave Ukraine and Russia a deadline to reach peace agreement
Ukraine and Russia are reportedly working on a U.S.-set deadline to reach a peace deal that would end the nearly four-year-long war.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that the U.S. had set a June deadline for Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement, according to The Associated Press. The outlet noted Zelenskyy’s remarks were embargoed until Saturday morning.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelenskyy said, according to the AP. The Ukrainian president also said that if the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration would likely put pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to meet.
“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” Zelenskyy added, the AP reported.
RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABI
Zelenskyy posted a video message on X on Friday saying Ukraine’s negotiators “report on the sensitive aspects of the negotiations in Abu Dhabi that cannot be discussed over the phone.” He added that Ukraine was preparing for “next meetings,” which he said would be “trilateral.”
The Ukrainian president told reporters that the U.S. had proposed it host the trilateral talks next week, likely in Miami, and that Ukraine had already confirmed it would participate, the AP reported.
President Donald Trump on Friday expressed optimism about the Russia-Ukraine talks while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One.
“We have very good talks going with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said.
In a readout of the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that took place on Feb. 4 and 5, the U.S. described the discussions as “constructive” and said they were focused on creating “the conditions for a durable peace.” The U.S. also said that the delegations had reached an agreement under which Russia and Ukraine would each release 157 prisoners of war, noting that it would be “the first exchange in the last five months.”
US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP
Additionally, the U.S. said it and Russia have agreed to open a new channel of communication by establishing a military-to-military dialogue, which would be led by General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command. The dialogue was suspended prior to the war in Ukraine, the U.S. said, adding that it was “crucial to achieving and maintaining peace.”
Despite the apparent progress, Russia and Ukraine’s war remains ongoing, with Moscow striking Kyiv’s energy infrastructure as the nation faces a brutal winter. Zelenskyy said on Saturday that the overnight attack involved 400 drones and approximately 40 “missiles of various types.” The Ukrainian president said that an apartment building and a college administrative building had been hit.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes. It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this,” Zelenskyy said. “Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine. This requires missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and other systems. Every shipment helps us get through this winter.”
“I thank all our partners who understand this and are genuinely helping,” he added.
Trump previously said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to temporarily stop attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, citing the brutally cold weather.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
Russian military intelligence official shot in Moscow: report
A Russian military intelligence figure was shot in the nation’s capital city on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev was shot multiple times by an unidentified attacker at an apartment building and was hospitalized, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko noted in a statement, according to the AP.
President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine.
ZELENSKYY REVEALS 55,000 UKRAINIAN DEATH TOLL AS PEACE TALKS CONTINUE
The AP reported that the business daily Kommersant indicated that the shooter posed as a delivery person, shooting Alekseyev twice in the stairway of his apartment building, injuring him in the foot and arm. The Russian figure attempted to wrest the weapon away and was shot again in the chest before the perpetrator fled, the report noted, according to the AP.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been striving to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The warring nations agreed to a prisoner swap this week, according to readouts posted on X by U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff and Ukraine’s national security and defense council minister Rustem Umerov.
TRUMP CALLS FOR NUCLEAR EXPERTS TO WORK ON ‘NEW, IMPROVED, AND MODERNIZED TREATY’
“Over February 4 and 5, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation met for the second trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The discussions were constructive and focused on how to create the conditions for a durable peace,” the readouts state.
US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP
“The delegations reached agreement whereby the Russian Federation and Ukraine will each release 157 Prisoners of War. This is the first exchange in the last five months,” the readouts note.
Zelenskyy reveals 55,000 Ukrainian death toll as peace talks continue
Ukrainian forces have lost over 55,000 people over the course of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday.
Zelenskyy made the announcement as U.S., Russian and Ukrainian negotiators meet in for a second day of talks Abu Dhabi this week. Zelenskyy also said a “large number of people” are missing in Ukraine.
The total is lower than an independent estimate from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, which published a report last week which found that there have been nearly 500,000 total people killed and 1.5 million wounded or injured on both sides of the conflict. That includes an estimated 140,000 troops killed for Ukraine, compared to 325,000 for Russia.
RUSSIA FIRES NEW BALLISTIC MISSILE AT UKRAINE, KILLING AT LEAST FOUR
Russia carried out its largest ballistic missile attack of the war earlier this week, targeting Ukrainian infrastructure with more than 70 missiles and 450 attack drones, Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said five people were injured and three more were rescued in Kharkiv after a drone strike caused a fire in a residential high-rise building.
The large-scale strikes came after President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for one week, as freezing temperatures caused widespread power and heating outages.
COMBINED WAR CASUALTIES FOR RUSSIA AND UKRAINE COULD HIT 2 MILLION, NEW REPORT WARNS
Trump announced the week-long pause last Thursday, but Russia resumed its attacks several days before the period was set to expire, striking a maternity ward in Zaporizhzhia and a bus of Ukrainian miners, leaving 12 people dead.
Zelenskyy said the work of his negotiating team will be “adjusted accordingly,” as his country prepared for this week’s round of meetings in the United Arab Emirates with U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday and Thursday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday and said the discussions were constructive, amid ongoing hostilities.
US special envoy Witkoff announces US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations agree to prisoner swap
U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff announced on Thursday that delegations from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia had agreed to the exchange of hundreds of prisoners.
“Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners — the first such exchange in five months,” a Thursday post on X declared.
“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine,” the post continued.
WITKOFF SAYS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN ENVOY WERE ‘PRODUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE’ AMID TRUMP ADMIN’S PEACE PUSH
“Discussions will continue, with additional progress anticipated in the coming weeks. We thank the United Arab Emirates for hosting these discussions, and President Donald J. Trump for his leadership in making this agreement possible,” the post noted.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been aiming to try to help broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
TRUMP SPEAKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING ON RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The president said in a Wednesday Truth Social post that “the War between Russia/Ukraine” was one of the topics during a phone call he had that day with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a Tuesday post on X that he “would urge President Trump to start a process to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles which would be a game changer militarily.”
WITKOFF CELEBRATES ‘NEW DAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST’ AFTER FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE IS RETURNED FROM GAZA
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“In the coming days and weeks, we must apply more pressure to Putin. Any negotiation that is seen as overly rewarding aggression will set in motion catastrophes all over the world. The opposite is equally true. If negotiations result in a free, strong and independent Ukraine — who had to make concessions — then the world will be far more stable,” Graham asserted.
Russia launches record missile barrage against Ukraine one day before peace talks set to resume in Abu Dhabi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure using a record number of ballistic missiles, one day before peace talks with Moscow and Washington are set to resume in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy said the attack involved more than 70 missiles — among them 32 ballistic and 28 cruise — as well as more than 450 attack drones that targeted eight regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said five people were injured and three more were rescued in Kharkiv after a drone strike caused a fire in a residential high-rise building.
“The Russian army exploited the U.S. proposal to briefly halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait until the coldest days of the year, when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F),” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES ‘WANT TO MAKE A DEAL’
The large-scale strikes came after President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for one week, as freezing temperatures caused widespread power and heating outages.
Trump announced the weeklong pause Thursday, but Russia resumed its attacks several days before the period was set to expire, striking a maternity ward in Zaporizhzhia and a bus of Ukrainian miners, leaving 12 people dead.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR
Residents took to subway and metro stations on Monday to hide underground as air raid alerts sounded throughout the night.
“With temperatures dropping to -25°C (-13°F), Russia knowingly yet again aims to leave hundreds of thousands of people, including children and the elderly, without heating or electricity,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s prime minister.
“This is an attempt to freeze civilians into surrender. Thanks to Ukraine’s air defense forces, the majority of missiles and drones were intercepted,” she added.
Zelenskyy said the work of his negotiating team will be “adjusted accordingly” as his country prepares for another round of meetings in the United Arab Emirates with U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday and Thursday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday and said the discussions were constructive, amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
“We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for @POTUS’s critical leadership in seeking a durable and lasting peace,” Witkoff wrote on X.
Russia kills 12 Ukrainian miners in deadly bus attack hours after peace talks postponed
A Russian drone strike hit a bus carrying miners in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, killing at least 12 people.
Ukrainian emergency services later reported the death toll had risen to 15 in one of the deadliest single attacks on energy workers since the start of the war.
The attack Sunday came a few hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia had been postponed.
A spokesperson for DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, which employed the workers, told Fox News Digital that drones had targeted the bus as it traveled “roughly 40 miles from the front line in central and eastern Ukraine.”
The DTEK spokesperson also described the incident as a “terrorist attack on civilian infrastructure.”
“This strike was a targeted terrorist attack against civilians and another crime by Russia against critical infrastructure,” the spokesperson added.
RUSSIA UNLEASHES MAJOR DRONE, MISSILE ATTACK ON UKRAINE AS US DIPLOMATIC TALKS CONTINUE
The bus was transporting miners after the end of their shift when it was hit by a Russian drone, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine also confirmed.
At least seven workers were injured, and a fire sparked by the impact was later extinguished by emergency crews.
“The epicenter of one of the attacks was a company bus transporting miners from the enterprise after a shift in the Dnipropetrovsk region,” the company also said in a statement.
Zelenskyy condemned the strike late Sunday, calling it another deliberate attack on civilians.
RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS ‘PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,’ AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA
Earlier in the day, he announced that the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. would now take place Feb. 4-5 in Abu Dhabi, after originally being expected for Sunday.
“Ukraine is ready for a substantive discussion, and we are interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war,” Zelenskyy said on X, adding that the delay had been agreed to by all sides.
The delay followed a surprise meeting Saturday in Florida between Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy and head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The talks in Abu Dhabi are now expected to include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the U.S., according to The Associated Press.
UKRAINE RACES TO BOLSTER AIR DEFENSES AS PUTIN’S STRIKE PAUSE NEARS END
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy warned Russia is stepping up its aerial campaign against civilian and logistical targets.
“Over the past week, Russia has used more than 980 attack drones, nearly 1,100 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles against Ukraine,” he wrote on X on Sunday. “We are recording Russian attempts to destroy logistics and connectivity between cities and communities.”
In a statement, DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko also explained the bus attack marked the company’s “single largest loss [of] life of DTEK employees since Russia’s full-scale invasion.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“We can already say with certainty that this was an unprovoked terrorist attack on a purely civilian target, for which there can be no justification,” Timchenko said.
The attack marked “one of the darkest days in our history,” he added. “DTEK teams are working with emergency services on the ground in Dnipropetrovsk region to ensure the injured, and families who have lost loved ones, get all the care and support they need. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he added.
Top Kremlin official praises Trump’s push for peace in Ukraine as talks set to resume
A top Kremlin official praised President Donald Trump as an effective leader seeking peace in Ukraine, saying Moscow views renewed talks with Washington as productive.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a former president, said Trump is genuinely trying to end the war in Ukraine and wants to be remembered as a peacemaker.
“Trump wants to go down in history as a peacemaker — and he is really trying,” Medvedev said in an interview with Reuters. “And that is why contacts with Americans have become much more productive.”
Trump has repeatedly said a peace deal to end the war is close. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that he had “productive and constructive meetings” with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
WITKOFF SAYS TALKS WITH RUSSIAN ENVOY WERE ‘PRODUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE’ AMID TRUMP ADMIN’S PEACE PUSH
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that a new round of talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia will take place this week in Abu Dhabi. His announcement comes as Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure, worsening conditions for civilians as winter temperatures plunge.
Medvedev dismissed speculation that Trump is secretly aligned with Moscow, telling the outlet that Americans elected him and Russia respects that choice. He also praised Trump for standing up to the U.S. political establishment and said his blunt, sometimes “brash” style is misunderstood.
ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR’
“He is an emotional person, but on the other hand, the chaos that is commonly referred to, which is created by his activities, is not entirely true,” Medvedev said. “It is obvious that behind this lies a completely conscious and competent line.”
Medvedev told the outlet that Trump’s background as a businessman shapes his approach, joking that there is no such thing as a former businessman, an echo of a well-known Russian saying about former KGB agents.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Medvedev, a hardliner within Russia’s leadership, has frequently warned of nuclear escalation since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He has stressed that avoiding further conflict remains the priority, but still expects Russia to achieve military victory in Ukraine.
“I would like this to happen as soon as possible,” Medvedev said of ending the conflict. “But it is equally important to think about what will happen next. The goal of victory is to prevent new conflicts.”
Witkoff says talks with Russian envoy were ‘productive and constructive’ amid Trump admin’s peace push
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said he had “productive and constructive meetings” with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for [the president’s] critical leadership in seeking a durable and lasting peace,” Witkoff wrote on X.
During a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Witkoff said progress had been made and that there had been “lots of good things happening between the counterparties discussing the land deal.”
“I think the people of Ukraine are now hopeful and expecting that we’re going to deliver a peace deal sometime soon,” Witkoff added.
TRUMP SAYS PUTIN AGREED TO HALT KYIV STRIKES FOR ONE WEEK AMID BRUTAL COLD
The meetings were held Saturday in Florida, according to Witkoff, and included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner; and White House senior advisor Josh Gruenbaum. Witkoff and Kushner have been two of the key players from the Trump administration not only in the Russia-Ukraine deal, but also others, including the Israel-Gaza peace plan.
Witkoff, Kushner and Gruenbaum also met with Putin earlier this month in Moscow shortly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. After the meeting in Moscow, Witkoff, Kushner, Gruenbaum and other U.S. representatives met with negotiators from Ukraine and Russia. The talks were said to be constructive despite obstacles to peace remaining.
“A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. “As a result of the meetings held over these days, all sides agreed to report back in their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders.”
ZELENSKYY TOUTS ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ TRILATERAL TALKS BETWEEN THE US, RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IN ABU DHABI
Nearly four years after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, Ukrainians are facing a brutal winter, and Russian strikes on Kyiv’s energy resources have made conditions worse. However, President Donald Trump said Thursday at his Cabinet meeting that Putin had agreed to a temporary pause in targeting Kyiv and other places in the region experiencing the frigid weather.
“And because of the cold, extreme cold — they have the same that we do — I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week,” Trump said, adding that Putin had “agreed to do that.” The president classified the weather in the region as being “record-setting cold.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that Trump had made the request for Putin to stop targeting Kyiv until Feb. 1 “in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted it was odd that the Kremlin spokesperson mentioned Feb. 1, as it would mean it was only a two-day pause. Additionally, the AP reported that the cold weather forecast is expected to get worse after Sunday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Russia and Ukraine will hold another round of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi Sunday, according to The Kyiv Independent. However, it is unclear whether the U.S. will participate in the talks.