Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Vladimir Putin was “afraid” of negotiations on ending the war after the Russian president ruled out direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. “Today, Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war,” Zelenskyy said. Putin on Tuesday ruled out speaking directly with Zelenskyy, whom he called “illegitimate” because elections have not been held since Russia started the war. Because of the war, Ukraine is under martial law, during which the Ukrainian constitution does not allow elections. Ukraine has warned against it being excluded from any peace talks between Russia and the US, accusing Putin of wanting to “manipulate” Donald Trump, the US president.

Ukrainian drones targeted oil and power facilities in western parts of Russia, officials and media outlets reported on Wednesday. Baza, a Russian social media channel close to Russia’s security services, reported that an oil refinery was on fire at Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow. In the western region of Smolensk, which borders Belarus, there was a “massive” drone attack and air defence systems destroyed a drone threatening a nuclear power facility, said the governor, Vasily Anokhin. Dozens more drones targeted the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, and the Tver region that borders the Moscow region to its south, regional governors said. Flights were halted for safety at the Kazan airport in the Republic of Tatarstan, 830km (516 miles) east of Moscow, officials said.