Russia and Ukraine are increasingly cross-border attacks on the eve of peace negotiations
On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia exacerbated the war with one of the largest drone battles of their conflict and ambitious attacks, an ambitious attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia.
After days of uncertainty, whether Ukraine will participate, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will sit down with Russian officials in the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.
The first round of negotiations over a week created the biggest prisoner exchanges of the war, but there was no consensus on how to stop the fight.
There are many wars in the topic of peace.
Ukrainian intelligence officials said Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers deep in Siberia.
The operation involved hiding the explosive drone inside the roof of the wooden shed and loading it onto a truck driven around the air base, the official said.
A total of 41 Russian fighter jets attacked, the official said.
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged on a telegram messaging app that Ukraine launched a drone strike against Russian military airports in five regions on Sunday.
It said the attacks drove away all attacks except two regions – Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia – “The launch of FPV drones from an area close to the airport caused several aircraft to capture the fire.”
No casualties were found in the fire. The ministry said some people involved in the attack were detained.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 472 drones overnight in Ukraine, the highest nightly war so far. The Air Force said Russia also launched seven missiles.
Russia says it has penetrated into Ukraine's Sumi region, with open-source Pro-ukrainian Maps showing it occupied 450 square kilometers of Ukrainian land in May, the fastest monthly advance payment in at least six months.
Negotiators meet in Türkiye
U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine and threatened to walk away if they don't. This may push the responsibility for supporting Ukraine to the shoulders of European powers, which have less cash than the United States.
According to Trump's Keith Kellogg, the two sides will meet in Turkey to introduce their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace conditions, although it is obvious that Moscow and Kiev are still far apart after three years of fierce war.
Putin ordered thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of battle with Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. The United States said more than 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022.
Over time, U.S. President Donald Trump's position on the Russian-Ukrainian war has changed dramatically, especially with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Andrew Chang broke Trump's criticism of Putin after the latest Russian attacks. Getty Images provided by images, Canadian Media and Reuters.
Trump called Putin “crazy” and praised Zelenskyy in public places in the Oval Office, but the U.S. president also said he believes peace is achievable and that if Putin delays, he can impose tough sanctions on Russia.
Last June, Putin listed his opening ceremony to end the war immediately: Ukraine must abandon NATO ambitions and withdraw all its troops from the four territories claimed by the Ukrainian region, mainly controlled by Russia.
Copies of documents seen by Reuters show Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul will show Russia on the side of the proposed roadmap to achieve a lasting peaceful settlement.
The document states that after reaching a peace agreement, there is no limit on Ukraine's military strength, and there is no international recognition of Russia's recognition of part of the Moscow troops' sovereignty over Ukraine and compensation for Ukraine.
The document also states that the current location of the frontline will be the starting point for negotiations on territory.
Currently, Russia controls one-fifth of Ukraine, or about 113,100 square kilometers.
