On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Moscow is prepared to engage in a new round of direct peace discussions with Ukraine, despite ongoing long-range drone assaults from both nations. Speaking to reporters in Minsk during his trip to Belarus, Putin indicated that Russian and Ukrainian officials are currently deliberating on when a fresh meeting might occur.
The Russian leader mentioned that ceasefire terms, which the Kremlin has largely dismissed thus far, are anticipated to be part of the talks’ agenda.
As the conflict continues without signs of resolution, US-led international peace initiatives have yielded no significant breakthroughs. Previous discussions in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations were brief and resulted in no progress.
Ukraine is advocating for a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin as the next step in peace negotiations. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov noted this desire; however, such a proposal seems unlikely to gain traction given Putin’s prior statements. He has insisted that a summit should only occur once the core elements of a peace agreement are established, a process that could extend over months or even years.
Adding to the tension, Putin reiterated his assertion that Zelenskyy lost his legitimacy after his presidential term ended last year—an allegation firmly rejected by Kyiv and its allies.
In the meantime, hostilities continue unabated, with Russian forces reportedly launching 363 Shahed and decoy drones alongside eight missiles at Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian air force claimed that their defensive measures intercepted all but four of the drones and successfully shot down six cruise missiles. Conversely, Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that 39 Ukrainian drones were downed across several regions, including 19 in the Rostov area and 13 in Volgograd, both situated east of Ukraine.
The ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year, has seen long-range drone strikes become a prominent feature. The efforts from both sides to innovate with more advanced and lethal drones have turned the conflict into a proving ground for new military technologies. Notably, Ukrainian forces executed a covert operation earlier this month that reportedly damaged nearly a third of Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet using low-cost drones launched into Russian territory.
According to the Ukrainian air force, around 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or jammed.
In a recent development, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top military commander, announced that Ukrainian troops have successfully halted a Russian advance into the northeastern Sumy region, stabilizing the frontline near the border. This defense has reportedly thwarted Russia’s attempts to redeploy approximately 50,000 troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other parts of the battlefield.
Ukrainian officials assert that the country is implementing new countermeasures in response to Russia’s escalating missile and drone attacks. Rather than relying solely on ground-based teams to target Shahed drones, the Ukrainian military is now utilizing interceptor drones it has developed. Moscow has yet to respond to these claims. Previously, Russian forces had made slow, costly advances along a 1,000-kilometer front line, launching several attacks in the Sumy region that resulted in civilian casualties and significant property damage.
Ukrainian authorities emphasize that their outnumbered forces are heavily dependent on drones to repel Russian advances while international efforts to broker a ceasefire have stalled. The only substantive outcome of the prolonged talks has been an agreement for a series of prisoner-of-war exchanges.