Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other ahead of peace talks on Monday, including massive drone attacks, an attempt to derail a train and a strike on nuclear-capable bombers deep inside Siberia.
Russian and Ukrainian diplomats are due to meet on Monday in Istanbul to resume talks aimed at ending the war.
In the meantime, over the weekend Russia launched an enormous wave of hundreds of drones against the Sumy region of Ukraine, where it has made large territorial gains over the last month.
At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge was blown up over a passing train, in the Russian border region of Bryansk. Nearly 400 people were aboard the train. So far, nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
And an audacious attack was launched on Russian nuclear-capable bombers stationed some 2,670 miles from the frontlines, in Siberia. Ukrainian sources claim 40 Russian warplanes were hit. The long-range attack was the first of its kind since the war began.
According to Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg, Moscow and Kyiv will present formal documents outlining their peace terms at the meeting in Istanbul.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to drop his demands for Ukraine to relinquish its ambitions to join NATO and to cede territory to Russia. At present, Russia controls just under a fifth of Ukraine, an area about the size of Ohio.
It’s believed Ukraine will demand no restrictions be placed on its military strength, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Ukrainian territory, and reparations for damages caused during the war.