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Globe and Mail
9 minutes ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Ukraine, Russia meet in Turkey for second round of peace talks after string of major attacks
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of major attacks over the weekend. Ukraine said Sunday it launched a spectacular surprise attack on five Russian airbases thousands of kilometres apart, ranging from air bases close to Moscow to targets in Russia's Arctic, Siberia, and Far East. The targets were more than 7,000 km from Ukraine. More than 40 Russian warplanes were destroyed, Ukraine claimed, in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called a 'brilliant operation' that involved more than a year of planning. Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones – 472 – on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February, 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defences. U.S.-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, assessed late Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' Satellite data shed light on Russia's modern-day gulags for Ukrainian children International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 16, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for Monday's meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Macron warns abandoning Ukraine would erode U.S. credibility in deterring potential conflict with China Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-km front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian air defences downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defence Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defences damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Two ballistic missiles struck a residential neighbourhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, including one that hit near a school, the city's mayor said. One missile landed near an apartment building, while the second struck a road near the school, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement and published a photo of a wide crater. 'Standing next to the crater, you realize how different it all could have been,' Terekhov wrote. 'A few more meters – and it would have hit the building. A few more minutes – and cars, buses would have been on the road.' No casualties were reported.
Asharq Al-Awsat
10 minutes ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Ukraine and Russia Meet in Türkiye for Peace Talks After Launching Major Attacks
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Türkiye on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of major attacks over the weekend. Ukraine said Sunday it launched a spectacular surprise attack on five Russian airbases thousands of kilometers (miles) apart, ranging from air bases close to Moscow to targets in Russia's Arctic, Siberia, and Far East. The targets were more than 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) from Ukraine. More than 40 Russian warplanes were destroyed, Ukraine claimed, in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a 'brilliant operation' that involved more than a year of planning. Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones — 472 — on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. US-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, assessed late Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 17, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for Monday's meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Two ballistic missiles struck a residential neighborhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, including one that hit near a school, the city's mayor said. One missile landed near an apartment building, while the second struck a road near the school, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement and published a photo of a wide crater. 'Standing next to the crater, you realize how different it all could have been,' Terekhov wrote. 'A few more meters and it would have hit the building. A few more minutes and cars, buses would have been on the road.' No casualties were reported.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Ukraine and Russia meet in Turkiye for peace talks after launching major attacks
In this image taken from video released June 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia's territory. (Source in the Ukrainian Security Service via AP) ISTANBUL — Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Turkiye on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of major attacks over the weekend. Ukraine said Sunday it launched a spectacular surprise attack on five Russian airbases thousands of kilometres (miles) apart, ranging from air bases close to Moscow to targets in Russia's Arctic, Siberia, and Far East. The targets were more than 7,000 kilometres (4,300 miles) from Ukraine. More than 40 Russian warplanes were destroyed, Ukraine claimed, in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a 'brilliant operation' that involved more than a year of planning. Meanwhile, Russia on Sunday launched the biggest number of drones — 472 — on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said, in an apparent effort to overwhelm air defenses. U.S.-led efforts to push the two sides into accepting a ceasefire have failed. Ukraine accepted that step, but the Kremlin effectively rejected it. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, assessed late Sunday that 'Russia is attempting to delay negotiations and prolong the war in order to make additional battlefield gains.' International concerns about the war's consequences, as well as trade tensions, drove Asian share prices lower Monday while oil prices surged. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. The first round of talks, held on May 17, also in Istanbul, ended after less than two hours. While both sides agreed on a large prisoner swap, there was no breakthrough. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for Monday's meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Fierce fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Two ballistic missiles struck a residential neighbourhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, including one that hit near a school, the city's mayor said. One missile landed near an apartment building, while the second struck a road near the school, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement and published a photo of a wide crater. 'Standing next to the crater, you realize how different it all could have been,' Terekhov wrote. 'A few more metres — and it would have hit the building. A few more minutes — and cars, buses would have been on the road.' No casualties were reported. ___ Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. Mehmet Guzel, The Associated Press
Forbes
3 days ago
- General
- Forbes
Fierce Battle For Chasiv Yar Shows That Russia Is Not Ready For Peace
Over the past months, there has been ongoing discussions about potential peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the war between the two nations continues to rage, with Russia mounting a number of attacks along its 600-mile front. Much of the fiercest fighting has recently taken place in the city of Chasiv Yar in the Donbas region. Although the battle for the city has been ongoing for more than a year and Russian forces now control a large portion of it, Russia has recently intensified its efforts to capture the entire city. The exact state of Chasiv Yar is uncertain, as Russia and Ukraine are reporting conflicting information. Russia first launched their assault to take the city in April 2024, and The Moscow Times reported on January 29, 2025, that they had fully captured the city. However, the Institute for the Study of War, citing geo-located footage, has stated that Ukraine is still fighting to maintain control of the southern portion of the city. This fighting is inherently intense, due to the nature of urban conflict in a small, practically abandoned city. The buildings create a three-dimensional battlefield, offering both cover and concealment, while alleys become choke points. The fighting has become even more complex with the introduction of drones, which the Ukrainians are using extensively to push back the Russian assaults. Over the past weeks, the Russians have increased their assaults on Chasiv Yar. As part of this effort, Russia has augmented their forces with soldiers from the Federal Security Service Presidential Regiment. This unit, which is approximately the size of a motorized rifle brigade, is usually assigned ceremonial duties around the Kremlin. Although not considered elite, its presence suggests that Russia is attempting to plug gaps and address manpower shortages by repurposing even a ceremonial unit to maintain momentum in capturing the city. Ukrainian officials have also reported an increase in armored vehicle assaults. The number of daily attacks has risen from three to five to as many as seven to nine. This escalation is notable given Russia's ongoing shortages of armored vehicles and the demand for them in other regions. Russia's decision to deploy armored vehicles in Chasiv Yar is particularly striking, as their effectiveness in urban environments is limited. In cities, armored units are often funneled into narrow streets and become vulnerable to attacks from above. As a result, Russia can expect to lose a significant number of these in-demand vehicles. Still, their use has become a necessity, as Ukrainian drones are quickly destroying lighter vehicles. Russia is also deploying new technologies on the battlefield hoping to get a tactical edge. Ukrainian social media posts have included footage showing their own drones stalking and destroying Russian drones. These drones appear to be newer models that likely include features that allow them overcome Ukrainian jamming. Further, Ukrainian sources have also posted footage of various Russian unmanned ground combat vehicles. These units, which appear to be providing resupply to Russian forces in the city, are also being targeted and destroyed by Ukrainian drones. Although capturing Chasiv Yar is critical to the Russian war effort, it carries little long-term strategic value. The city is not a symbolic or economically vital city like Mariupol, Bakhmut, or Kherson, whose capture appears to be part of the overarching objectives of the Russian invasion. Rather, Chasiv Yar is a fortified position that blocks Russian forces from advancing deeper into the Donetsk region toward Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk. The sacrificing of personnel, equipment, and advanced technology to take Chasiv Yar indicates that the Russian military does not expect peace to come soon. Rather, they appear to be laying the groundwork for their summer offensive. More likely, the Russian military anticipates continued fighting through at least the summer. Russia's long-term objectives remain uncertain, but their intensified operations in Chasiv Yar are clear. Meanwhile, Ukraine's goals are straightforward. Ukrainian forces aim to prevent Russia from taking full control of the city and to bog Russian troops down in a prolonged, bloody urban battle. This approach forces Russia to expend valuable soldiers and equipment, potentially wearing down Russian resolve and strengthening Ukraine's position ahead of future negotiations. As such, the outcome of the Battle of Chasiv Yar may not only shape the next phase of the war but also set the terms for any future peace.
