A recent Russian missile strike in the capital of Ukraine has resulted in one fatality and left four others injured.

Among the wounded was a nine-year-old girl, as reported by the mayor of Kyiv following the attacks that occurred early Wednesday morning.

According to Ukraine’s military forces, they successfully intercepted six out of seven ballistic missiles, along with 71 drones launched by Russia, which set off multiple fires across the capital.

This incident follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s indication of a potential land swap with Russia as part of future peace talks.

The missile strikes caused significant damage in various districts of Kyiv, including Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Obolonskyi, as stated by Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Additionally, in Kryvyi Rih, officials have reported damage to residential structures and infrastructure due to Russian attacks on Tuesday night, according to the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk.

On the other side, the governor of Belgorod announced that a woman had died due to a Ukrainian drone strike targeting the region.

“Words cannot express the sorrow felt by the family and friends affected by this tragedy,” said Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram.

In response to the latest Russian assault, President Zelensky asserted that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “not seeking peace.”

“He continues to take lives and devastate cities. We urgently need unity and support from our allies to achieve a just resolution to this conflict,” he added on Telegram.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian published on Tuesday, President Zelensky expressed his willingness to consider a land exchange with Russia in any forthcoming peace negotiations.

He mentioned that certain parts of Russia’s Kursk region, which Ukraine has controlled since a counter-offensive six months ago, could be returned in compensation for Ukrainian territories currently under Moscow’s occupation.

Although Ukraine has never expressed intentions to permanently occupy the vast areas seized in Russia’s Kursk region, the strategy appears to be evolving.

In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Zelensky’s proposal as “impossible,” stating that Russia would not engage in discussions about territorial exchanges.

Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, also ridiculed Zelensky’s proposition, labeling it as “nonsense.”

“You talk of peace through strength?” he mocked, implying that the overnight missile strike demonstrated how Russia aims to achieve that objective.

Initially, Ukraine anticipated that the Kursk operation would alleviate pressure on its troops in other conflict zones. However, given Russia’s ongoing dominance on the battlefield, President Zelensky seems to be seeking to leverage the situation for political advantage.

He acknowledged that Ukraine cannot rely on security guarantees without support from its primary ally, the United States.

Former President Donald Trump has called for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During his campaign last year, Trump asserted he could negotiate an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion in just one day.

Last month, he warned Putin via social media that he would impose heightened tariffs and additional sanctions if the war in Ukraine did not come to an end.

Putin has repeatedly claimed he is open to negotiating a conclusion to the conflict, providing that Ukraine recognizes the reality of Russia’s territorial gains, which currently encompass about 20% of Ukrainian land.

Zelensky has previously conceded the possibility of temporarily ceding land occupied by Russia; however, his recent comments to the Guardian mark the first time he indicates readiness for permanent land concessions.

Putin also firmly opposes Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the military alliance of Western nations.

This upcoming Friday, Zelensky is set to meet with US Vice President JD Vance, a known critic of American military support for Ukraine.

Additionally, Trump has signaled his willingness to meet with Ukraine’s president following the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. The White House has expressed interest in exploring Ukraine’s natural resources in return for ongoing aid.