Latest news with #UkraineRussiaConflict
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Russia and Ukraine step up the war on eve of peace talks
On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia sharply ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of their conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an ambitious attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether or not Ukraine would even attend, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said defence minister Rustem Umerov would sit down with Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The talks, proposed by president Vladimir Putin , have so far 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. READ MORE 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 yet claimed responsibility. Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4,300 kilometres (2,670 miles) away. A Ukrainian intelligence official said 40 Russian warplanes were struck. Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war so far. Russia also launched seven missiles, the air force said. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450 square kilometres of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. US president Donald Trump has demanded Russia and Ukraine make peace and he has threatened to walk away if they do not – potentially pushing responsibility for supporting Ukraine on to the shoulders of European powers – which have far less cash and much smaller stocks of weapons than the US. [ Antenna made by Irish company found in Russian bombs in Ukraine Opens in new window ] According to Trump envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will in Turkey 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. Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. The US says more than 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022. Trump has called Putin 'crazy' and berated Zelenskiy in public in the Oval Office, but the US president has also said he thinks peace is achievable and that if Putin delays then he could impose tough sanctions on Russia. In June last year, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its Nato ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia. Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. [ Putin wants written pledge to halt Nato expansion in return for peace Opens in new window ] According to the document, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine. The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory. Russia controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine, or about 113,100 square kilometres, about the same size as the US state of Ohio. – Reuters
CBC
13 hours ago
- General
- CBC
On eve of peace talks, Russia and Ukraine ramp up cross-border attacks
On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia sharply ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of their conflict and an ambitious attack that was carried out on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether or not Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would sit down with Russian officials at the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. The first round of talks more than a week ago yielded the biggest prisoner exchange of the war — but no sense of any consensus about how to halt the fighting. Amid talk of peace, though, there was much war. 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 4,300 kilometres away. The official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks driven to the perimeter of the air bases. A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, according to the official. Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged on the Telegram messaging app that Ukraine had launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. It said the attacks repelled the assaults 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." The fires were extinguished without casualties. Some individuals involved in the attacks had been detained, the ministry said. Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war so far. Russia had also launched seven missiles, the air force said. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed it had taken 450 square kilometres of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. Negotiators to meet in Turkey U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal and has threatened to walk away if they do not. This would potentially push responsibility for supporting Ukraine onto the shoulders of European powers, which have far less cash and much smaller stocks of weapons than the United States. According to Trump envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will meet in Turkey to 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. Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. The United States says over 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022. WATCH | Will Trump turn his back on the Russia-Ukraine war?: Will Trump turn his back on the Russia-Ukraine war? | About That 6 days ago Duration 11:49 U.S. President Donald Trump's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war has changed drastically over time — particularly in terms of how he frames Russian President Vladimir Putin. Andrew Chang breaks down Trump's criticism of Putin following Russia's latest attack by explaining what it may signal about how the U.S. proceeds. Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters. Trump has called Putin "crazy" and berated Zelenskyy in public in the Oval Office, but the U.S. president has also said he thinks peace is achievable and that if Putin delays then he could impose tough sanctions on Russia. In June last year, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia. Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. The document notes that there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces and reparations for Ukraine. The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russia and Ukraine step up the war on eve of peace talks
By Guy Faulconbridge and Max Hunder MOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) -On the eve of peace talks, Ukraine and Russia sharply ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of their conflict, a Russian highway bridge blown up over a passenger train and an ambitious attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Siberia. After days of uncertainty over whether or not Ukraine would even attend, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would sit down with 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 yet 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 4,300 km (2,670 miles) away. The 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. RUSSIA ACKNOWLEDGES AIR BASE ATTACKS, SAYS FIRES PUT OUT Ukraine did not tell the Trump administration about the attack in advance, Axios reporter Barak Ravid said on X, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official. Russia's Defence Ministry acknowledged on the Telegram messaging app that Ukraine had launched drone strikes against Russian military airfields across five regions on Sunday. It said the attacks repelled the assaults 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". The fires were extinguished without casualties. Some individuals involved in the attacks had been detained, the ministry said. Russia launched 472 drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's air force said, the highest nightly total of the war so far. Russia had also launched seven missiles, the air force said. Russia said it had advanced deeper into the Sumy region of Ukraine, and open source pro-Ukrainian maps showed Russia took 450 square km of Ukrainian land in May, its fastest monthly advance in at least six months. U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded Russia and Ukraine make peace and he has threatened to walk away if they do not - potentially pushing responsibility for supporting Ukraine onto the shoulders of European powers - which have far less cash and much smaller stocks of weapons than the United States. According to Trump envoy Keith Kellogg, the two sides will in Turkey 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. Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops. The United States says over 1.2 million people have been killed and injured in the war since 2022. Trump has called Putin "crazy" and berated Zelenskiy in public in the Oval Office, but the U.S. president has also said that he thinks peace is achievable and that if Putin delays then he could impose tough sanctions on Russia. In June last year, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia. Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. According to the document, there will be no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine. The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory. Russia currently controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine, or about 113,100 square km, about the same size as the U.S. state of Ohio.
Reuters
17 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows
KYIV, June 1 (Reuters) - Ukrainian negotiators at talks scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. The proposed roadmap begins with a full ceasefire of at least 30 days, to be followed by the return of all prisoners held by each side, and of Ukrainian children taken into Russian-held territory, and then a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Under the blueprint, Moscow and Kyiv -- with the participation of the United States and Europe -- will work to hash out the terms on which they can agree to put a complete end to their three-year-old war, the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that they had sent the blueprint to the Russian side in advance of the Istanbul talks. The framework Ukrainian terms for a peace deal as set out in the document seen by Reuters are largely the same as the terms previously put forward by Kyiv. Those include no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine. The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory. Those terms diverge considerably from demands that Russia has made publicly in the past few weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end their war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Kyiv said earlier this week it is committed to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals which has not materialised. Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he will send a delegation of his officials to meet their Russian counterparts in Istanbul.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Kremlin responds to Ukraine's criticism of peace proposal
Ukraine's demands that Russia 'immediately' delivers its draft roadmap for ceasefire talks are undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Delegations from both countries are expected to meet soon to discuss their respective proposals for a truce. Moscow yesterday proposed a meeting in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the drafts. In response, Ukrainian officials criticized Moscow for not sharing its document ahead of time, accusing Russia of stalling the talks process. 'Demanding [to see the Russian document] immediately is just unconstructive. They should either confirm they are prepared for talks or say otherwise,' Peskov told reporters on Thursday during a regular briefing. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Kiev's lead negotiator, said on Wednesday that he had already sent Ukraine's draft to Moscow and claimed Russia was delaying its response. Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga echoed the sentiment, insisting Russia should 'immediately submit their proposals for our consideration.' Umerov also repeated Ukraine's call for 'a full and unconditional ceasefire.' Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said on Wednesday that he had contacted Umerov to finalize the date and venue for an exchange of memorandums. The next round of talks would also involve 'substantive discussion of each point of the package agreement on a future ceasefire,' he added. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later confirmed that Moscow's document is ready, ahead of a proposed resumption of talks, sparking the complaints from Kiev. Peskov said that Kiev had yet to formally confirm participation in the meeting. Ukrainian officials previously insisted upon a 30-day pause in hostilities as a precondition for negotiations. Russia rejected the proposal, arguing it would give Kiev time to regroup militarily. Ukraine later revised its position after the administration of US President Donald Trump stated that it saw direct Russia-Ukraine talks as the next logical step toward a peace settlement. While pursuing diplomacy, Ukraine has also urged its Western backers to impose additional sanctions over Russia's refusal to accept an immediate ceasefire and has also intensified long-range strikes inside Russian territory.
