Russia, Ukraine mutual attacks continue as Trump says peace 'much closer than people realize'

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its fifth year, is "much closer than people realize."

Trump said he had a "very good" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his administration has been in contact with both Russia and Ukraine in an effort to end their conflict, which is also on the agenda of the upcoming NATO summit.

"He (Putin) wants to end it, and Ukraine wants to end it. We're in talks, and we'll see if we can get it ended," Trump told reporters. "I think we are getting much closer than people realize."

Responding to Trump's remarks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that the conflict could indeed be resolved quickly if the US was prepared to act on proposals put forward by Russia.

Ryabkov said that although the United States had increasingly deviated from understandings previously reached with Russia on Ukraine, Moscow would continue its contacts with Washington on the issue.

However, Russia and Ukraine continued to exchange cross-border attacks ahead of a NATO summit, where Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a renewed push for peace.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Ukraine launched more than 600 drone strikes inside Russia between Sunday night and Monday, mainly targeting civilian fuel facilities and energy infrastructure, though most of the drones were intercepted.

The Omsk Oil Refinery, one of the country's largest, was targeted in a Ukrainian drone attack, Omsk Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said in a social media post. He said preliminary information showed there were no casualties.

In a separate incident, Ukrainian drones struck a cooling tower at the under-construction Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2, Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Monday, adding that no casualties or environmental damage had been reported.

Russia launched massive attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region in response early on Monday, killing at least 28 people, according to Reuters.

At least 18 people were killed in Kyiv, the Emergency Services said ​on Telegram as search and rescue personnel recovered more bodies. Prosecutors said 10 were killed in the wider Kyiv region. 

(With input from agencies)