Russian long-range bombers flew a five-hour patrol over the Baltic Sea just minutes after U.S. envoys met Vladimir Putin in Moscow to push a peace deal for Ukraine, triggering fresh NATO alarm. The show of force came as Ukraine launched deadly drone strikes on Russia’s Krasnodar region and Adygea, hitting oil infrastructure and killing civilians. Tensions deepened further after France seized a Russia-linked “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean. Despite the military escalation, the Kremlin confirmed it will join the U.S. and Ukraine for trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, even as Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure continue unabated.