Tensions are rising again in Eastern Europe as Russia and Ukraine trade fresh drone and missile strikes, leaving dozens of towns in darkness and reigniting fears of a prolonged winter conflict.

Russia targeted Ukraine’s Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions early Tuesday, launching kamikaze drones that struck energy facilities and transport infrastructure. Ukrainian authorities say a freight train was hit near Nizhyn, cutting a major railway line and causing power outages across multiple districts.

In a swift counterstrike, Ukrainian forces shelled Russia’s Belgorod region, where at least three people were killed. Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones, calling the barrage “one of the largest in weeks.”

President Vladimir Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using its oil tankers to gather intelligence and spread instability across Europe. “These vessels fund the war and conduct sabotage missions,” he warned, urging allied nations to take stronger action.

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin remains defiant, boasting of “strategic gains” and claiming Russian forces have captured thousands of square kilometers of Ukrainian land. Analysts, however, say the battlefield remains largely stagnant despite heavy losses on both sides.

U.S. President Donald Trump — who has long promised to end the war — now concedes that achieving peace is a “daunting challenge.” With no sign of negotiation and winter fast approaching, both armies are preparing for another brutal phase of fighting.