Tragic Missile Strike in Dnipro: Four Dead Amid Ongoing Diplomatic Efforts

Thu Dec 04 2025 21:04:38 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A missile attack in Dnipro, Ukraine, has resulted in the death of four individuals, injuring many others, while high-level diplomatic efforts to negotiate peace continue.

A missile strike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has led to four fatalities and over 40 injuries. This attack occurred amidst efforts for peace negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, indicating the ongoing tensions in the region. As talks unfold, significant disagreements remain, particularly over territorial concerns.

A Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has killed four people and injured 40, authorities have said.

Unconfirmed reports say a ballistic missile was used in the strike, which took place on Monday morning.

Videos shared online showed a large explosion occur on the side of a motorway, and local media reported that an office block, cars, and shops were hit or badly damaged.

Dnipro, which lies around 100km (62 miles) from the front line, has frequently come under Russian attack since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The attack comes just a day before U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for discussions aimed at concluding the war in Ukraine. Witkoff has not yet visited Kyiv, despite multiple meetings with the Russian president this year.

On Sunday, a Ukrainian delegation met Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Jared Kushner in Florida.

Ukrainian President Zelensky stated on Monday that the talks had been 'very constructive', although there were still some 'tough issues' to address. Rubio echoed this sentiment, noting that the meeting was 'productive' but that more effort was needed.

The Florida meeting was part of recent intense diplomacy efforts, with Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately engaging with U.S. officials regarding a potential peace plan.

Despite these efforts, significant gaps remain between Moscow and Kyiv's positions. Russia has insisted that Ukraine withdraw from parts of the Donbas region still held by them—a demand Kyiv firmly rejects.

'If they don't withdraw, we'll achieve this by force of arms,' stated Putin, while Zelensky accused Russia of dismissing genuine efforts to end the war.

Concerns regarding Ukraine's future security persist, with Kyiv and European allies seeking security guarantees, such as NATO membership, to protect against future attacks. Russia, however, strongly opposes this move.

Zelensky has recently traveled to Paris to garner support from French President Emmanuel Macron and is scheduled to visit Ireland next.

Amid these diplomatic maneuvers, there are rising worries in Kyiv and Europe that the U.S. may be leaning more towards accommodating Russian demands rather than supporting Ukraine’s stance, leading to fears of exclusion from negotiations.

Domestically, Zelensky is facing political challenges following a corruption scandal, culminating in the resignation of his chief of staff Andriy Yermak after law enforcement raided his home, although he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

The ongoing conflict since Russia's invasion in February 2022 has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, severe civilian suffering, and millions of refugees, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis.

Ultimately, the war's roots can be traced back to 2014, following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, which prompted Russia's annexation of Crimea and subsequent support for armed insurrections in eastern Ukraine.

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