US presses Ukraine to cede land as Russian strikes kill 26

The surprise initiative comes as Russian missiles hit the western city of Ternopil, far from the front line, in one of the deadliest attacks on western Ukraine since the invasion began in 2022. The draft US peace proposal provides for "recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken" and "reduction of the army to 400,000 personnel", a source familiar with it, who did not wish to be identified, told AFP. City officials reported the fires had caused chlorine levels in the air to spike to six times the norm, and called on Ternopil's 200,000 residents to stay home and close their windows.