Escalating Drone Warfare: Russia and Ukraine Resume Attacks Amid Ceasefire Talks

Following the conclusion of the latest ceasefire talks, both Russia and Ukraine resumed drone attacks, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries on both sides, while hopes for peace remain dim.

Both Russia and Ukraine have engaged in a fresh wave of drone attacks that resulted in casualties hours after a brief third round of ceasefire negotiations concluded in Istanbul. The attacks took a toll on both nations, with two individuals confirmed dead in Russia and three in Ukraine.

In Ukraine's Kharkiv region, authorities reported finding three bodies among the debris of a struck building, with additional injuries occurring in the cities of Cherkasy and Zaporizhzhia. The historic Pryvoz market in Odesa, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, also suffered damage from overnight strikes, igniting several fires throughout the city.

In retaliation, Russian sources claimed that two individuals were killed and 11 were wounded due to drone strikes originating from Ukraine in Sochi, part of the Krasnodar region. Another attack on Kharkiv early Thursday morning resulted in 33 injuries.

The recent negotiations witnessed Ukrainian and Russian delegations meeting in Istanbul, although there appeared to be no anticipation for significant progress. Head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, revealed that discussions lasted only about an hour, with both sides expressing skepticism about reaching a resolution.

Russian delegation chief, Vladimir Medinsky, disclosed a conditional agreement to swap 1,200 prisoners of war and return 3,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers' bodies to Kyiv, however, no substantial measures were agreed upon to halt the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its fourth year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the lack of a breakthrough, asserting that both sides blamed each other for dismissing proposals. Umerov expressed a strong desire to set up a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin before the close of August, but Peskov found this idea premature, insisting that substantial groundwork must be laid prior to such a summit.

In the background, U.S. President Donald Trump had previously called for a resolution to the conflict and set a deadline for both Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement, warning of severe tariffs on Moscow if they failed to do so.

While Zelensky reiterated his commitment to pursuing diplomacy, he emphasized that Russia must take responsibility and end the war it initiated.