Russia has claimed to take control of two Ukrainian settlements over the past 24 hours while Ukraine reported strikes on Russian troops and equipment in multiple directions as fighting between the two sides continued on Wednesday.
According to Wednesday's announcement by the Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian forces captured Kharkovka in the Sumy region and Krinichnoye in the Zaporizhzhia region. The ministry said that Russian troops targeted Ukrainian fuel depots, energy facilities, long-range drone launch sites, as well as temporary deployment points of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that as of 22:00 local time on Wednesday, there had been 201 combat engagements along the front line. It said Russian forces launched 16 attacks in the direction of Kostiantynivka, and that Ukrainian troops struck Russian personnel and military equipment in that area.
Russia claims seizing two more settlements, Ukraine reports 201 battles in multiple directions
The White House on Wednesday declined to set a deadline for the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, saying Iran is expected to present more details on its negotiating position within weeks.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that "diplomacy is always his (President Donald Trump's) first option," and there are "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."
Leavitt declined to set a deadline for the talks between the two countries, saying that she is not going to "set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the talks showed some positive signs but key U.S. red lines remain unmet.
A Trump adviser said the White House is moving closer to possible military actions, estimating a "90 percent chance" of strikes within weeks if talks fail, U.S. online outlet Axios reported Tuesday.
Any U.S. operation could involve a large-scale, weeks-long campaign, potentially conducted jointly with Israel, targeting Iran's nuclear and missile programs and posing a major threat to Iran's leadership, said the report, quoting sources familiar with the matter.
The USNI News, a news service of the Naval Institute, reported on Tuesday that the USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are crossing the Atlantic and heading for the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the second carrier strike group dispatched by the U.S. to the vicinity of Iran.
Earlier reports by U.S. media indicated that the Gerald R. Ford had been ordered to move from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Previously, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in early January and is now confirmed to be in the Arabian Sea off Oman.
Meanwhile, Israel is on heightened alert and assessing that a confrontation with Iran could begin "soon," state broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday, citing senior Israeli officials.
The report said Israel is maintaining a high level of readiness amid the possibility of a near-term U.S. strike on Iran, estimating that if launched, such an operation could develop into a weeks-long campaign.
Officials said Trump appears closer to launching a large-scale confrontation in the Middle East, and that Israel is preparing for a scenario in which fighting could break out "possibly within days."
Additionally, a pre-scheduled meeting of Israel's security cabinet was postponed from Thursday to Sunday, a government official said, amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and a U.S. military buildup in the region.
Iran and the United States concluded the second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. The negotiations, held at Oman's embassy in the Swiss city, were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The first round of indirect talks took place in the Omani capital of Muscat on Feb. 6.
White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks
