Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul on Wednesday for a third round of talks since May, even as active hostilities continue with little progress toward ending their three-year-old war.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, violence persists. Russian shelling overnight in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson killed a 66-year-old woman, according to regional military governor Oleksandr Prokudin. He said three others, including two 13-year-olds, were injured.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 71 drones and decoys overnight, of which 45 were intercepted or neutralised using electronic countermeasures. The strikes targeted Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions.
Expectations for a breakthrough in the Istanbul talks remain low. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that ceasefire negotiations are not on the agenda. Instead, discussions will focus on the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and abducted children, and preparations for a possible presidential-level meeting.
“We need more momentum in the negotiations to end the war,” Zelensky said, reiterating his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin confirmed that the two sides would review previously exchanged position papers on possible peace frameworks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, cautioned that “major diplomatic work” would be required to achieve any ceasefire agreement.
Ukraine has continued to call for an unconditional ceasefire as a basis for meaningful negotiations, while Russia maintains its demand for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from eastern regions it has illegally annexed.
The first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in over three years began in May. While a broad agreement remains elusive, the process has facilitated large-scale exchanges of prisoners of war, including young soldiers and severely wounded combatants.
The Russian delegation will again be led by presidential adviser and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, while Ukraine’s team will be headed by Rustem Umerov, former defence minister and current head of the National Security and Defence Council.
(dpa/NAN)
