Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday Ukrainian experts would be present at upcoming talks involving the United States and Russia, but will not be in the same room as Russia, as a diplomatic push to end the war intensifies.

Ukraine struck a major Russian strategic bomber airfield on Thursday with drones, triggering a huge blast and fire about 700 km (435 miles) from the front lines of the war, Russian and Ukrainian officials said.

At least 91 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in airstrikes across Gaza on Thursday after Israel resumed bombing and ground operations, the enclave’s health ministry said, effectively ditching a two-month-old ceasefire.

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday denied that data collected in a government-funded program that helps track thousands of abducted Ukrainian children had been deleted, but acknowledged that the effort had been terminated as part of Washington’s sweeping freeze on almost all foreign aid.

Turkey detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the main opposition party on Wednesday called “a coup against our next president“.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said his country’s relationship with the United States is on a “strong footing” as he wrapped up a trip to Washington.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 38 Palestinians, according to local health workers.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pressed deeper into Congolese territory a day after Congo and Rwanda’s presidents called for an immediate ceasefire, entering the outskirts of the town of Walikale late on Wednesday, residents told Reuters.

Canada said on Wednesday that China had executed an unspecified number of Canadian citizens earlier this year, and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Pope Francis is no longer using mechanical ventilation for help breathing at night and his doctors believe he will continue to improve, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in the latest positive update as the 88-year-old pontiff battles pneumonia.

The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday there was still a bridge proposal that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”

Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defence projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday, driven by fears of Russia and doubts about the future of U.S. protection.