Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have convened in Istanbul, Turkey, for a critical second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine. The negotiations, which began this afternoon under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, follow a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian military airbases, escalating tensions on the eve of the talks.
The discussions come after a first round of talks on May 16, which resulted in the largest prisoner swap of the war but failed to produce a ceasefire or significant progress toward peace.
On Sunday, Ukraine launched what has been described as its most audacious drone operation of the conflict, targeting Russian strategic bomber bases deep inside Russia, including in Siberia. Ukrainian officials claim the strikes, codenamed “Spiderweb,” destroyed or damaged 41 warplanes, representing 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, with an estimated $7 billion in damages. President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the operation as “brilliant,” asserting it strengthens Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.
Russia, meanwhile, confirmed that several aircraft “caught fire” but reported no casualties. The Russian Defense Ministry and pro-military commentators described the attack as a “heavy blow,” pointing to intelligence failures. In retaliation, Russian forces conducted heavy shelling and drone strikes across Ukraine, killing five people near Zaporizhzhia and injuring six in Sumy, including two children. A Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian army training site also killed 12 soldiers and wounded over 60.
