‘Putin will die soon, and the war will end,’ Zelenskyy says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned against easing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s isolation, saying it would be a “dangerous” mistake.

“It is very important that America does not help Putin get out of global isolation now,” Zelenskyy told Eurovision News on March 26 during a visit to Paris. “This is one of the most dangerous moments.”

‘Putin will die soon’

Zelenskyy said Putin aims to stay in power until death and could provoke a direct confrontation with the West. “Putin will die soon, that is a fact, and everything will be over,” he added, according to Kyiv Independent.

His remarks came a day after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-brokered partial ceasefire on Black Sea hostilities and energy infrastructure attacks. In exchange, Washington promised to ease some economic restrictions on Russia, including restoring access to global markets for agricultural exports.

Ukraine had already accepted a full 30-day ceasefire under U.S. terms, but Russia refused. Zelenskyy called the limited ceasefire a step toward peace but reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war entirely.

At least 13 people were injured in attacks on Kharkiv

Ukraine said on Thursday that at least 13 people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

“The enemy launched a massive drone strike on Kharkiv. Thirteen people were injured, including two children,” the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement on Telegram, noting that an investigation into the strikes was launched.

Civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv’s Slobidskyi and Kyivskyi districts was hit during the strikes, the statement said, adding that the attack that took place late Wednesday lasted for almost an hour.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that the attack caused four fires in the city, which is located about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Russian border, with the largest covering an area of 2,500 square meters.

It said that 117 of its personnel and 27 units of equipment were involved in eliminating the consequences of the attack.

Separately, Ukraine’s Air Force claimed that its air defenses downed 42 out of 86 drones launched by Russia over the country’s southern, northern and central regions.

“Against this backdrop, speaking about easing pressure on Russia, lifting sanctions, and so on, is definitely inappropriate and unhelpful,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on X late Wednesday in reaction to the attack.

Accusing Moscow of dragging out the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Zelenskyy called for further pressure on Russia to “save lives and to make diplomacy work faster and more effectively.”

The US announced separate agreements Tuesday with Russia and Ukraine to “ensure safe navigation” in the Black Sea and a halt to strikes on each other’s energy facilities for 30 days following talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Despite a deal, Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over breaching the pause on strikes on energy facilities. Russia has yet to comment on the latest attack on Kharkiv.