Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Is Retaking Ground as Nordic Leaders Press Putin to End the War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces are recovering territory through a series of offensives and that Kyiv's position on the battlefield is the strongest it has been in some time. Citing a report from senior commanders, he disclosed for the first time an operation code-named "Veles", which uses pipelines in Ukraine's northeast.

Zelenskyy also pointed to an air assault operation in eastern Ukraine and another effort called "Vivaldi" further north. Both are intended to stop Russian advances in key areas.

On the diplomatic front, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and urged him to end the war. The call was an attempt to influence the diplomatic process after US President Donald Trump surprised allies by agreeing to buy Russian diesel, a move that pushed ties with Ukraine to their lowest point in 18 months.

A localised ceasefire appears to be holding in Ukraine's south, but Russian strikes overnight damaged a university campus and Kyiv's important Southern Bridge. Zelenskyy called it "a serious escalation" aimed at Ukrainian logistics. A Ukrainian military source told Reuters that Russia used four Iskander ballistic missiles against the bridge. Zelenskyy added that energy, logistics and infrastructure sites in 10 other regions were also attacked overnight.

Kyiv's mayor said the city plans to set aside 1 billion hryvnias ($22 million) to build water crossings over the River Dnipro, which divides the capital in two, as Russia steps up attacks on bridges.

In Romania, President Nicusor Dan described an alleged Russian sabotage plot last month as a "grave violation" of the sovereignty and security of the Nato member. His comments came a day after Romania's intelligence service said it had identified a Russia-coordinated "sabotage network" tied to a fire in central Brasov County that damaged the premises of several commercial entities. Three foreign nationals, two Belarusians and one Ukrainian, all living in EU countries, are being investigated. Romania's foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador in Bucharest on Tuesday, and the Russian embassy said the ambassador rejected the "baseless" accusations.

France has temporarily moved a maritime patrol aircraft to Romania to help spot navigation hazards and strengthen protection of critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea. At least eight cargo ships have been hit near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past three weeks, with about 34 sailors reported dead or missing. Romania's defence ministry said the aim is "to identify dangers to navigation and increase the ability to protect critical infrastructure in Romania's exclusive economic zone".

Poland will host a maintenance centre for the US-made Patriot air-defence system, the only such facility outside the United States, according to deputy defence minister Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, who announced it on social media. Poland borders Ukraine and is a major logistics hub for military aid from Kyiv's allies. Patriot interceptors are considered among Ukraine's most important air-defence assets as it tries to counter intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks.

Separately, Pope Leo XIV's chief almsgiver, Monsignor Luis Marín de San Martín, began a three-day visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, bringing several truckloads of winter clothes, blankets and food for distribution in Kyiv. Vatican News said he planned to visit Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Fastiv as well. In phone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy, Leo had called for a ceasefire and the delivery of food and medicine in Oleshky, along with the safe and voluntary evacuation of its residents.