Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s forces launch ‘biggest drone attack’ ahead of Trump ceasefire call

After the primary direct peace talks in Turkey, the Kremlin mentioned on Russian president Vladimir Putin might meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, however provided that sure agreements have been reached.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov didn’t specify what agreements could be required from Russia’s viewpoint. Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky haven’t met since December 2019.

President Zelensky had challenged the Kremlin chief to fulfill him in Turkey this week however Mr Putin as an alternative despatched a staff of aides and officers to fulfill Ukrainian negotiators on Friday for the primary bilateral, face-to-face talks since March 2022.

Ukraine mentioned it had raised the problem of a Putin-Zelenskiy assembly on the talks.

Mr Peskov mentioned Russia thought of such a gathering was doable, however solely because of work between the 2 sides to “obtain sure ends in the type of agreements”.

He added: “On the similar time, when signing paperwork that the delegations are to agree upon, the primary and basic factor for us stays who precisely will signal these paperwork from the Ukrainian aspect.”

Mr Peskov didn’t elaborate on that comment.

Russia launched considered one of its most intense drone assaults on Ukraine in a single day into Sunday, for the reason that begin of its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In accordance with Ukraine’s air drive, Russia fired a complete of 273 explosive drones and decoys. Of those, 88 have been intercepted, whereas an additional 128 have been doubtless misplaced on account of digital jamming.

The assaults focused the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk areas.

Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk mentioned a 28-year-old lady was killed in a drone strike, and three others –together with a four-year-old baby – have been wounded.

The variety of drones fired exceeds Russia’s beforehand identified largest single drone assault in the course of the struggle, when 267 drones have been launched on the eve of the invasion’s third anniversary.

The barrage got here after the primary direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years, held on Friday, failed to supply a ceasefire.

After an evening of sustained Russian drone assaults, a lady was killed within the capital area and three, together with a toddler, have been injured.

“Sadly, because of the enemy assault within the Obukhiv district, a lady died from her accidents,” Mykola Kalashnik, governor of the Kyiv area, posted on the Telegram messaging app.

As of 0300 GMT, Kyiv, the area round it and many of the japanese half of Ukraine had been beneath air raid alerts for six hours.

A number of killed after Russian strike hits civilian bus in Ukraine’s Sumy area

The navy mentioned on Telegram that air defence models have been engaged a number of instances, attempting to repel assaults.

Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up its assaults following peace talks on Friday.

The primary direct talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine on Friday didn’t dealer the ceasefire Kyiv and its allies have been urging within the greater than three-year-old struggle.

“It has been a troublesome evening. The Russians have all the time used struggle and assaults to intimidate everybody in negotiations,” Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, mentioned on Telegram about Sunday’s assault.

On Saturday, a Russian drone assault killed 9 civilians after hitting a shuttle bus within the Sumy area in northeastern Ukraine, Kyiv mentioned.

President Volodymyr Zelensky known as the assault “deliberate” and urged stronger sanctions on Moscow, which mentioned it had attacked a navy facility.

A senior Ukrainian official on the peace talks in Istanbul accused Moscow on Friday of introducing “unacceptable calls for” that had not been beforehand mentioned, together with requires Kyiv’s forces to withdraw from giant swaths of territory they management to ensure that a whole ceasefire to be applied.

The official, who spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not authorised to make official statements, mentioned it appeared as if the Russian delegation “intentionally needs to throw nonstarters on the desk as a way to stroll away from right this moment’s assembly with none outcomes”.

He mentioned the Ukrainian aspect reiterated that it remained centered on attaining actual progress – a direct ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy – “identical to the US, European companions, and different nations proposed”, the official added.

The video exhibits the bus was lowered to a twisted heap of metallic within the strike.

In accordance with the nation’s Nationwide Mine Motion Authority, an estimated 340 civilians have been killed by exploding landmines since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in 2022, with one other 1,195 folks injured by.

Our reporter Bryony Gooch speaks to 2 survivors who’ve lived by means of that ache, and don’t need anybody else to must expertise it:

The UK has condemned a Russian drone assault that killed 9 folks in Ukraine early on Saturday.

The assault, which struck a passenger bus in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy area, got here simply hours after the primary face-to-face talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey.

Overseas secretary David Lammy mentioned he was “appalled” by the incident, including in a publish on social media: “If Putin is severe about peace, Russia should conform to a full and quick ceasefire, as Ukraine has achieved.”

Regional authorities described the assault as “one other struggle crime by Russia” and declared a interval of mourning till Monday.

Christopher McKeon has the complete report:

After an evening of sustained Russian drone assaults, a lady was killed within the capital area and three, together with a toddler, have been injured.

“Sadly, because of the enemy assault within the Obukhiv district, a lady died from her accidents,” Mykola Kalashnik, governor of the Kyiv area, posted on the Telegram messaging app.

As of 0300 GMT, Kyiv, the area round it and many of the japanese half of Ukraine had been beneath air raid alerts for six hours.

The navy mentioned on Telegram that air defence models have been engaged a number of instances, attempting to repel assaults.

Ukraine has accused Russia of stepping up its assaults following peace talks on Friday.

The primary direct talks in three years between Russia and Ukraine on Friday didn’t dealer the ceasefire Kyiv and its allies have been urging within the greater than three-year-old struggle.

“It has been a troublesome evening. The Russians have all the time used struggle and assaults to intimidate everybody in negotiations,” Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, mentioned on Telegram about Sunday’s assault.

On Saturday, a Russian drone assault killed 9 civilians after hitting a shuttle bus within the Sumy area in northeastern Ukraine, Kyiv mentioned.

President Volodymyr Zelensky known as the assault “deliberate” and urged stronger sanctions on Moscow, which mentioned it had attacked a navy facility.

Ukraine’s Safety Service (SBU) has begun preparation for a prisoner alternate with Russia agreed within the first direct talks between the 2 nations since 2022 in Turkey.

The talks in Istanbul on Friday ended after lower than two hours with out a ceasefire, though either side agreed on alternate of 1,000 PoWs every, based on the heads of each delegations, in what could be their largest such swap.

The Joint Coordination Middle for the Search and Launch of Prisoners, working beneath SBU, is getting ready a listing of Russian navy personnel at the moment held in Ukrainian custody who may very well be included in a future prisoner alternate with Russia.

On the similar time, the SBU, in coordination with the Well being Ministry and different related state our bodies, is making preparations to obtain Ukrainian troopers at the moment held by Russian forces.

These efforts contain establishing the mandatory infrastructure, designated reception factors, and deploying medical personnel to help the switch, escort, and rehabilitation of returning servicemen.