Officials from Ukraine and Russia convened in Turkey on Monday for a second round of direct peace negotiations, marking the latest attempt to seek a resolution to the ongoing conflict, now in its third year. Despite the talks, expectations remain low following a weekend marked by significant military activity on both sides.
Ukraine reported that it carried out a coordinated long-range operation targeting five Russian airbases across a wide geographic area, including sites near Moscow, the Arctic, Siberia, and the Far East—some over 7,000 kilometers from Ukrainian territory. According to Ukrainian authorities, the strikes resulted in the destruction of over 40 Russian aircraft, an operation they described as the result of more than a year of planning.
In response, Russia launched its largest drone attack to date, deploying 472 drones across Ukraine in a single day, reportedly in an effort to saturate and overwhelm Ukrainian air defences.
Efforts led by international partners to broker a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful. While Ukraine has signaled its willingness to enter into a truce, Russian authorities have not agreed to the terms. Analysts suggest that Russia may be using the negotiation process as a means to gain more ground militarily before making concessions.
The conflict continues to affect global markets, with investor concerns about the broader economic and geopolitical implications contributing to a drop in Asian stock prices and a rise in oil prices on Monday.
Statements from senior officials in both Kyiv and Moscow suggest that substantial differences remain on the core issues that would need to be resolved to end the war.
The initial meeting between the two sides took place in Istanbul on May 16 and lasted under two hours. While the talks led to an agreement on a large prisoner exchange, they did not produce any significant breakthroughs.
For Monday’s session, the Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to the Russian president, arrived the previous evening. Turkish officials scheduled the meeting to begin at 1 p.m. local time, though Ukrainian representatives indicated a noon start. The discrepancy had not been clarified as of the meeting time. Turkey’s foreign minister and members of its intelligence agency were expected to participate in the proceedings.
Meanwhile, hostilities remain intense along the front lines, which stretch approximately 1,000 kilometers. Both sides have carried out long-range strikes into each other’s territory.
Russian authorities reported shooting down 162 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions and over Crimea. Ukraine, in turn, said it intercepted 52 of 80 drones launched overnight by Russian forces.
On Monday morning, two ballistic missiles struck a residential area in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. One impacted near an apartment block, and the other hit a road close to a school. The city’s mayor noted that the attack narrowly missed more densely populated areas, though no injuries were reported.
