Russia indicated on Monday that it remains committed to maintaining the momentum of its military campaign in Ukraine, despite the prospect of renewed negotiations brokered by the United States. However, Moscow expressed willingness to agree to localized, short-term humanitarian ceasefires in specific areas of conflict.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that Russia could consent to temporary truces along the front lines for humanitarian reasons. This announcement came ahead of a planned local ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, scheduled to begin early Tuesday. The truce—facilitated by US First Lady Melania Trump—aims to alleviate severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies reported by residents after months of intense fighting.

When asked whether similar arrangements could be extended elsewhere, Peskov responded affirmatively but stressed that these pauses would not impact the broader military offensive. He reiterated that the resumption of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and United States representatives, planned for next month, does not equate to any limitations on Russian combat activities. According to Peskov, Russian forces continue to conduct extensive strikes targeting Ukraine’s military-industrial infrastructure.

In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian energy facilities, primarily around major cities, as part of efforts Kyiv describes as an attempt to weaken Ukraine’s power supply during the winter months. Similar attacks last year resulted in widespread outages and harsh conditions as temperatures dropped to as low as -20 degrees Celsius.

The forthcoming talks, aimed at exploring pathways to end the conflict—which has been described as the worst in Europe since World War II—will be mediated by US officials.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Voronezh region experienced a drone attack that killed two individuals and injured 17 others, including a child, according to regional governor Alexander Gusev. He reported that local air defense systems managed to intercept 113 drones during the assault. The strikes also sparked fires at several industrial sites.

Additionally, Russian Railways reported damage to a passenger train traveling from Anapa to Moscow, with five passengers sustaining injuries. Due to the attack, train services through the Voronezh area have been suspended.