Ukraine Seeks Ceasefire in Talks with Russia Amid Drone Attacks
The outcome of the talks remains uncertain, but the drone attack has shown that Ukraine is capable of inflicting significant damage on Russia's military assets, and the use of drones has highlighted the need for Russia to reassess its air defense systems. The loss of these aircraft will impact Russia's ability to launch large-scale attacks on Ukraine, and the talks in Istanbul will be a crucial step in determining the future of the conflict.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that a delegation will head to Turkey to negotiate a "complete and unconditional ceasefire" with Russia, as a second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Monday, following a massive drone attack on Russian bomber planes.
The drone attack, which targeted 40 locations, including in the Arctic, resulted in the destruction of more than 40 Russian bombers and dealt a significant blow to Russia's aerial cruise missile strike capability. The attack involved 472 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles, with Ukraine neutralizing 385 aerial targets, including Tu-95 bombers and the Russian equivalent of AWACS, the A-50.
The use of drones in the attack has highlighted the vulnerability of major military assets within Russian territory, and officials in Kyiv have warned that Moscow may be preparing a new summer offensive. Ukrainian officials say that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire and is using its refusal to share its terms ahead of the talks as a strategy to delay negotiations.
The attack, codenamed "Spiderweb," was carried out by Ukraine's SBU domestic intelligence agency and marked an escalation in cross-border incursions before planned peace talks in Istanbul. The strikes targeted Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers, which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukrainian cities, and the full extent of the damage remained unclear, but footage showed destroyed aircraft and planes engulfed in flames.
The talks in Istanbul come as part of revived diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by US President Donald Trump, to reach a ceasefire deal and end the war. Ukraine's military has been developing a nimble and sizeable fleet of attack drones used to pummel Russia's army and energy infrastructure, and the strike was the most damaging drone attack by Ukraine on Russia to date.