Latest news with #US7
AU Financial Review
18-07-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
BHP suffers $2.6b potash blowout
BHP's push into Canadian potash has suffered cost and schedule blowouts that will see the Jansen mine cost up to $US1.7 billion ($2.6 billion) more than previously expected. BHP originally expected to spend $US5.7 billion building the first stage of the Jansen mine in the province of Saskatchewan, but said on Friday the budget would rise to between $US7 billion and $US7.4 billion.
AU Financial Review
17-07-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Meta trial on privacy scandal begins with tech, politics A-list
Behind-the-scenes details of an agreement between Facebook and US privacy regulators in 2019 emerged in a Delaware court, during a trial on investor claims the settlement cost them at least $US7 billion ($11 billion). A company director at the time, Jeffrey Zients, who was later former US president Joe Biden's chief of staff, said the board asked its lawyers to approach the Federal Trade Commission with a proposal. The company, now known as Meta, was willing to pay billions of dollars to settle allegations related to a privacy scandal but would not accept any settlement that held founder Mark Zuckerberg personally responsible.
Sydney Morning Herald
09-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump v Musk is the final battle before a catastrophe
In any case, against total federal spending last year of nearly $US7 trillion, it is but a drop in the ocean, and only goes to show how difficult it is to find serious savings in government administration, even when given a free hand with the headcount. The rampant corruption and incompetence that Musk's Department of Government Efficiency expected to find in the Washington and wider government machine has turned out to be largely an illusion, and many of the cuts he has managed to make seem to have done more harm than good. This is not to argue that it's not worth trying, or that you cannot make public services more efficient. But it takes time, substantial upfront investment, and the savings are generally not as big as anticipated. To nobody's great surprise, it transpires that the skills needed to run a successful business do not transfer easily to the public sector, where the disciplines of the bottom line, the profit motive and competitive markets don't exist. Loading The shame of it is that the Musk who built Tesla and SpaceX into two of the world's most successful companies over a period of nearly two decades has been almost entirely absent while at DOGE these past four or five months. Instead, we have seen a reckless, chainsaw-wielding – and if the American press is to be believed, drug-fuelled – Musk who, like his one-time boss Donald Trump, seems to regard government more as performative art than public service. We can all point to myriad examples of public sector waste, of unfathomable spending decisions and stultifying, jobsworth bureaucracy, but the imagined savings from addressing these things nearly always turn out to be a mirage. In Britain, Nigel Farage's Reform UK claims there is £7 billion to be saved by scrapping public sector spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Sadly, no such saving exists. Recent government figures showed just £27 million ($56 million) was spent by the civil service on DEI measures during 2022-23. This might well be £27m too much, but it is not going to solve Britain's debt crisis. The two big cash-burners in advanced economies' state spending are public sector salaries and welfare, and both desperately need to be addressed if Western democracies are ever to extract themselves from now mountainous debt. Musk has comprehensively failed on the first of these missions, and not surprisingly so. The sort of productivity-improving automation and digitalisation we see widely applied in the private sector to stay competitive is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires precision in planning and execution. None of these characteristics was on display from the tech bros sent in to tackle the bloated size of the American state. Their approach was one of slash and burn rather than the slow, methodical re-engineering of government needed to achieve sustainable savings and productivity improvement. What's more, Trump shows little or no appetite for meaningful entitlement reform. OK, some attempt is being made to trim spiralling Medicaid spending, but it's half-hearted and is really only there as a gesture to appease fiscal hawks among House Republicans. Nobody can tell you exactly when the storm will break, but Musk's failure brings the final reckoning that much closer. The bottom line is that Trump is as much a creature of fantasy economics as any. He wants both low taxes and high spending, and expects economic growth to make up the difference. It's the same delusion as Liz Truss, only very much more dangerous in its seeming rejection of fiscal orthodoxies. Unlike Britain, America is the beating heart of the global financial system, and if US debt markets go belly-up they'll take everyone else down with them. Back here in Britain, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, shows similarly little sign of getting to grips with the leviathan of public spending as she puts the finishing touches to next Wednesday's spending review. Public sector salary costs are rising, not falling, and while ministers talk the talk on welfare reform, their approach to the issue is no more convincing than that of Trump. It's just a little tinkering around the edges. Simply getting working-age benefits back to their pre-pandemic level would save £49 billion a year – more than enough to avoid tax rises and fund the desired increase in defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP, Jeremy Hunt, Reeves' Conservative predecessor as chancellor, points out. Spending on disability benefits alone has surged from £37 billion just before the pandemic to £56 billion now, much more than in any comparable economy, with the bulk of the growth coming from mental health conditions. Loading Yet Reeves used up almost all her political capital axing the winter fuel allowance to all but the poorest pensioners, a course of action that saves only £1.5 billion a year. This has left her with virtually no space for more serious entitlement reform. In both the US and Britain, cutting state spending back to size is simply not happening on the scale needed to stem the rising tide of debt. Attempts by Musk to draw a line in the sand have ended in acrimony and recrimination. Nobody can tell you exactly when the storm will break, but Musk's failure brings the final reckoning that much closer.
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Russia, Ukraine begin peace talks after major attacks
Russian and Ukrainian officials are holding their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from President Donald Trump, who has warned the US could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus, along with a senior Turkish official. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. There was no word on whether Kyiv had received Russia's draft. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1000 prisoners, but no sign of peace - or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions. Monday's meeting comes after Ukraine and Russia ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year-and-a-half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions - Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. with DPA Russian and Ukrainian officials are holding their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from President Donald Trump, who has warned the US could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus, along with a senior Turkish official. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. There was no word on whether Kyiv had received Russia's draft. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1000 prisoners, but no sign of peace - or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions. Monday's meeting comes after Ukraine and Russia ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year-and-a-half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions - Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. with DPA Russian and Ukrainian officials are holding their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from President Donald Trump, who has warned the US could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus, along with a senior Turkish official. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. There was no word on whether Kyiv had received Russia's draft. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1000 prisoners, but no sign of peace - or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions. Monday's meeting comes after Ukraine and Russia ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year-and-a-half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions - Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. with DPA Russian and Ukrainian officials are holding their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers. The two sides are expected to discuss their respective ideas for what a full ceasefire and a longer term path to peace should look like amid stark disagreements and pressure from President Donald Trump, who has warned the US could abandon its role as a mediator if there's no progress. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Istanbul's sumptuous Ciragan Palace by the Bosphorus, along with a senior Turkish official. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow's delegation, said Russia had received Ukraine's draft memorandum for a peace accord ahead of the talks. There was no word on whether Kyiv had received Russia's draft. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading the Ukrainian delegation. Their last round of talks in Istanbul on May 16 yielded the biggest prisoner swap of the war with each side freeing 1000 prisoners, but no sign of peace - or even a ceasefire as both sides merely stated their opening negotiating positions. Monday's meeting comes after Ukraine and Russia ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year-and-a-half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions - Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. with DPA
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Russia and Ukraine step up the war on eve of peace talk
On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia have ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would meet Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The first round of the talks more than a week ago yielded the biggest prisoner exchange of the war - but no sense of any consensus on how to halt the fighting. Amid talk of peace, though, there was much war. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year and a half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions — Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. According to US envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will present their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace terms, though it is clear that after three years of intense war, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart. Russia's lead negotiator, presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, was quoted by TASS news agency as saying the Russian side had received a memorandum from Ukraine on a settlement. According to a copy of the Ukrainian document seen by Reuters with a proposed roadmap for a lasting peace, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a deal is struck. Nor will there be international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces and reparations for Ukraine. On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia have ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would meet Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The first round of the talks more than a week ago yielded the biggest prisoner exchange of the war - but no sense of any consensus on how to halt the fighting. Amid talk of peace, though, there was much war. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year and a half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions — Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. According to US envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will present their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace terms, though it is clear that after three years of intense war, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart. Russia's lead negotiator, presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, was quoted by TASS news agency as saying the Russian side had received a memorandum from Ukraine on a settlement. According to a copy of the Ukrainian document seen by Reuters with a proposed roadmap for a lasting peace, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a deal is struck. Nor will there be international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces and reparations for Ukraine. On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia have ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would meet Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The first round of the talks more than a week ago yielded the biggest prisoner exchange of the war - but no sense of any consensus on how to halt the fighting. Amid talk of peace, though, there was much war. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year and a half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions — Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. According to US envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will present their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace terms, though it is clear that after three years of intense war, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart. Russia's lead negotiator, presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, was quoted by TASS news agency as saying the Russian side had received a memorandum from Ukraine on a settlement. According to a copy of the Ukrainian document seen by Reuters with a proposed roadmap for a lasting peace, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a deal is struck. Nor will there be international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces and reparations for Ukraine. On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia have ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of the conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would meet Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The first round of the talks more than a week ago yielded the biggest prisoner exchange of the war - but no sense of any consensus on how to halt the fighting. Amid talk of peace, though, there was much war. At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4300km away. Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web", planned for more than a year and a half. The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $US7 billion ($A11 billion) and said Russia had lost 34 per cent of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields. Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack. "And an outcome produced by Ukraine independently," he wrote. "This is our longest-range operation." Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged that Ukraine launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. Air attacks were repelled in all but two regions — Murmansk in the far north and Irkutsk in Siberia - where "the launch of FPV drones from an area in close proximity to airfields resulted in several aircraft catching fire". Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war. Russia also launched seven missiles. Russia reported new drone attacks, listing 53 attacks intercepted in a period of less than two hours, including 34 over the border Kursk region. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450sq/km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. According to US envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will present their respective documents outlining their ideas for peace terms, though it is clear that after three years of intense war, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart. Russia's lead negotiator, presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, was quoted by TASS news agency as saying the Russian side had received a memorandum from Ukraine on a settlement. According to a copy of the Ukrainian document seen by Reuters with a proposed roadmap for a lasting peace, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a deal is struck. Nor will there be international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces and reparations for Ukraine.
