In a dramatic turn of events, drone strikes from both Russia and Ukraine resulted in civilian casualties and property destruction shortly after a brief third round of ceasefire talks in Istanbul, highlighting the stalled diplomatic efforts and ongoing hostilities.
Intense Drone Strikes Erupt Following Ceasefire Negotiations Between Russia and Ukraine
Intense Drone Strikes Erupt Following Ceasefire Negotiations Between Russia and Ukraine
Both Russia and Ukraine report casualties and damage from drone attacks just hours post their latest attempt at ceasefire discussions.
Tensions escalated between Russia and Ukraine as both nations engaged in drone strikes shortly after their third round of ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul. The attacks resulted in significant casualties, leaving three people dead in Ukraine's Kharkiv region and wounding several others across Cherkasy and Zaporizhzhia. The strikes also caused damage to the historic Pryvoz market in Odesa and ignited fires in various parts of the city.
Conversely, Russian authorities reported two fatalities from a Ukrainian drone strike in Sochi, located in the Krasnodar region, alongside 11 injuries. On the same day, a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv injured 33 individuals.
The short-lived ceasefire talks, which lasted less than an hour, saw little progress, with both sides expressing skepticism about achieving a breakthrough. Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that the two countries agreed on a prisoner swap involving 1,200 soldiers and facilitated the transfer of 3,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers back to Kyiv. However, the absence of actionable steps to mitigate the ongoing conflict—now in its fourth year—dominated the discussions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remained pessimistic about a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, labeling it "premature." Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Hocharenko revealed that Umerov and Medinsky held a separate discreet dialogue during the talks, which he described as having developed a "good relationship."
Previous ceasefire talks conducted in May and June were prompted by former US President Donald Trump's advocacy for an end to the conflict, and he recently threatened "severe tariffs" on Russia should they fail to reach an agreement within a narrow timeframe.
Amid ongoing peace negotiations and rising global scrutiny, Ukrainian President Zelensky reaffirmed his commitment to diplomacy while emphasizing that the resolution lies with Russia, urging it to halt the war it initiated.
