Ukraine-Russia talks ‘very tense’, will resume Wednesday
· France 2417/02/2026 - 21:40
No sign of progress on first day of Ukraine war talks in Geneva
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators concluded the first of two days of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva, though neither side signaled they were any closer to ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.
The United States has been pushing for an end to the nearly four-year war, but has failed to broker a compromise between Moscow and Kyiv on the key issue of territory.
Two previous rounds of negotiation between the two sides in Abu Dhabi failed to yield a breakthrough.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address he was ready "to move quickly towards a worthy agreement to end the war", but questioned whether Russia was serious about peace.
17/02/2026 - 19:54
Russian official acknowledges Starlink systems down for two weeks
Starlink terminals used by the Russian military have not been in operation for two weeks, but the disconnection has had no effect on its drone operations, a senior Russian military official said.
"Starlink terminals have been down for two weeks, but this has not affected the intensity or effectiveness of the troops' unmanned systems, as confirmed by data from objective monitoring of damage to enemy equipment and personnel," Deputy Defence Minister Aleksei Krivoruchko told State Television.
The Russian acknowledgement was made nearly two weeks after Ukrainian officials said the terminals used by the Russian military had been disconnected.
17/02/2026 - 19:38
Ukraine-Russia talks in Geneva 'very tense'
US-mediated talks Tuesday between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Geneva were "very tense", a source close to the Russian delegation said, adding however that the meetings would resume on Wednesday.
"They were very tense. They lasted six hours. They have now concluded. It has been agreed to continue tomorrow (Wednesday)," the source told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
17/02/2026 - 19:37
Paralympic governing body lifts ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of 2026 games
17/02/2026 - 18:24
Political portion of Ukraine, Russia talks over for the day, source says
The political portion of US-mediated trilateral peace talks in Geneva between Ukraine and Russia have ended for the day, but military representatives from both sides are still meeting, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Talks are expected to continue for a second day on Wednesday.
17/02/2026 - 16:57
European officials in Geneva for Ukraine talks
Government officials from Italy, Germany, France and Britain are participating in talks in Geneva on ending the Ukraine war, diplomatic sources said.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators on Tuesday began US-brokered talks in the Swiss city seeking to end the four-year war, after two earlier rounds this year in Abu Dhabi.
"Talks are planned during the day" between the European officials "and the Ukrainian and US delegations on the sidelines of the negotiations", an Italian government source said.
17/02/2026 - 16:54
Ukrainian drones have struck nine oil refineries in Russia so far this year, commander says
Ukrainian drones have struck nine oil refineries across Russia since the start of the year, the commander of Kyiv's drone forces said.
In a statement released on Telegram as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators sat for their latest peace talks in Geneva, Robert Brovdi said the refineries were among 240 facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territory hit by Ukrainian forces.
17/02/2026 - 15:48
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators meet for US-brokered talks
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators launched fresh US-brokered talks in Geneva seeking to end the four-year war, hours after both sides launched a fresh wave of long-range strikes. US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker of the conflict unleashed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have yielded no breakthroughs.
17/02/2026 - 14:44
Russia increasing hybrid threats around Sweden, says Swedish military intelligence
Russia has stepped up its hybrid threat activities and seems willing to take greater risks in Sweden and the region, the head of Sweden's military intelligence told AFP.
"Russia has, in certain cases, stepped up actions and increased its presence – and perhaps with a greater risk appetite -- in our vicinity," Thomas Nilsson, head of Sweden's Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST), told AFP.
He added that he believed Moscow would "unfortunately" continue doing so – regardless of whether it succeeds in Ukraine or not.
Nilsson did not cite any particular attacks, but MUST said in its yearly threat review released Tuesday that Russia "has developed a wide range of methods that can be used within the framework of hybrid warfare," including disinformation, cyberattacks, economic sanctions, intelligence operations, and election interference.
17/02/2026 - 14:42
Russia military police building collapses near Saint Petersburg, causes unclear
A Russian military police building collapsed on the grounds of an army base outside Saint Petersburg, the local governor said Tuesday, adding that authorities were probing the causes of the incident.
"I have instructed the security forces to assist the military in clearing the rubble and rescuing victims following the collapse of a military police building on the territory of a military unit in Sertolovo," governor Alexander Drozdenko said.
"The causes of the incident are being investigated," he added.
Sertolovo is a small village just outside Saint Petersburg, Russia's second-biggest city.
17/02/2026 - 13:48
Two killed in blast at military facility in Russia's Leningrad region, Mash reports
Two people were killed in a blast at a military facility in the town of Sertolovo in Russia's Leningrad region, the Mash Telegram channel reported.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko said that the blast occurred in a military police building. He provided no additional details.
"I have instructed the security forces to assist the military in clearing the rubble and rescuing those injured in the collapse of the military police building on the territory of the military unit in Sertolovo," Drozdenko said.
17/02/2026 - 13:40
France releases suspected Russia 'shadow fleet' tanker after fine
France on Tuesday released a tanker called Grinch suspected of being part of Russia's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" after its owner paid a fine of several million euros, a minister said.
The public prosecutor's office and regional authorities said that, "as part of a guilty plea procedure, the company that owns the vessel was sentenced by the Marseille judicial court to a financial penalty".
French forces and their allies boarded the oil tanker last month between Spain and Morocco after it started its journey in Russia. It was escorted to a port near the southern city of Marseille. The European Union lists 598 vessels suspected of being part of the "shadow fleet" that are banned from European ports and maritime services.
17/02/2026 - 10:24
Russian drone kills three energy workers in east Ukraine
A Russian drone strike on east Ukraine early Tuesday killed three energy workers near the industrial town of Sloviansk, Kyiv said, after a massive Russian attack targeted Ukrainian energy facilities overnight.
"In the morning, a Russian UAV attacked a vehicle carrying employees of the Sloviansk TPP. Sadly, three of them were killed," said Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Energy Artem Nekrasov in a social media post.
17/02/2026 - 08:59
Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with missile, drone strikes, says Ukraine
Russia was undermining peace efforts by launching dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones ahead of talks in Geneva, said Ukraine's foreign minister.
"The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that local officials said targeted critical infrastructure.
17/02/2026 - 08:25
Russian strike on Odesa region causes 'incredibly serious' damage to power infrastructure
A Russian strike on Ukraine's southern Odesa region caused "incredibly serious" damage to power infrastructure supplying the regional capital, Ukrainian energy company DTEK said.
"Repairs will take a long time to restore the equipment to working order," the company said on social media.
17/02/2026 - 08:14
Putin aide warns European powers over seizure of vessels
Russia could use the navy to prevent European powers seizing its vessels and may retaliate against European shipping if Russian vessels are seized, Nikolai Patrushev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin has been quoted as saying.
"If we don't give them a tough rebuff, then soon the British, French and even the Balts will become arrogant to such an extent that they will try to block our country's access to the seas at least in the Atlantic basin," said Patrushev, a senior politician and security official who has served on the Security Council of Russia as well as the FSB intelligence service in the past.
17/02/2026 - 07:56
Russian delegation arrives in Geneva for talks on Ukraine, Interfax reports
The Russian delegation has arrived in Geneva for talks on Ukraine, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
17/02/2026 - 07:49
Land in focus at Geneva peace talks between Russia and Ukraine
As Russian and Ukrainian teams meet in Geneva, the US-mediated peace talks are likely to focus on land, the main sticking point.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture, which Kyiv refuses to do.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine's national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion.
17/02/2026 - 07:35
- Trump says Ukraine must move 'fast' to sign peace deal
- Zelensky claims necessity of 'sufficient pressure on Russia'
- Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with missile, drone strikes, says Ukraine
- Paralympic governing body lifts ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of 2026 games
- Ukraine-Russia talks in Geneva 'very tense'
17/02/2026 - 07:31
More than 150 Ukrainian drones repelled overnight, says Russian state media
Russia repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones overnight, Moscow's defence ministry has told state media ahead of talks in Geneva.
"Overnight, air defence forces destroyed 151 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, as well as over the Black and Azov Seas," the ministry reported.
In Russian-annexed Crimea, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said two dozen drones were shot down during "one of the longest attacks in recent times".
"Unfortunately, there were injuries. According to preliminary information, one child was wounded," he posted on Telegram.
Yesterday's key developments:
- US President Donald Trump said Monday that “Ukraine better come to the table, fast”, when it comes to reaching a peace deal with Russia.
- Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will meet with former Russian culture minister Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security Council, on Tuesday in Geneva.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed that Trump was "deeply committed" to the success of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of Europe's biggest critics of Ukraine and a Russian ally.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)