Russia escalates attacks on Ukraine ahead of stalled US-Russia peace talks
A surge in Russian drone strikes killed at least one person and wounded 31 over the past two days, as diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States prepared to gather for a second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
The violence comes amid ongoing efforts by the US to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks, which began on Friday, are seen as a crucial step towards ending Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
In the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, drone attacks killed one person and wounded four others. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, 27 people were wounded in similar strikes. The attacks have further raised concerns about the escalating violence.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering a brutal missile strike against civilian targets while negotiations are underway. "Cynically, Putin ordered a massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process," he tweeted.
Despite the recent flurry of diplomatic activity, significant obstacles remain between the two sides. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated that a potential peace deal was "nearly ready", but issues related to territorial control remain unresolved.
The US and Russia have been engaged in marathon talks on the sidelines of a summit in Switzerland, with US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussing a possible settlement with Putin. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow claims are rightfully theirs.
As tensions continue to simmer, the international community remains hopeful that the negotiations will yield positive results. The UAE's foreign ministry described the talks as an effort "to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis".
A surge in Russian drone strikes killed at least one person and wounded 31 over the past two days, as diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States prepared to gather for a second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
The violence comes amid ongoing efforts by the US to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks, which began on Friday, are seen as a crucial step towards ending Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
In the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, drone attacks killed one person and wounded four others. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, 27 people were wounded in similar strikes. The attacks have further raised concerns about the escalating violence.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering a brutal missile strike against civilian targets while negotiations are underway. "Cynically, Putin ordered a massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process," he tweeted.
Despite the recent flurry of diplomatic activity, significant obstacles remain between the two sides. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated that a potential peace deal was "nearly ready", but issues related to territorial control remain unresolved.
The US and Russia have been engaged in marathon talks on the sidelines of a summit in Switzerland, with US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussing a possible settlement with Putin. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow claims are rightfully theirs.
As tensions continue to simmer, the international community remains hopeful that the negotiations will yield positive results. The UAE's foreign ministry described the talks as an effort "to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis".
! can't believe russia is still going all out on ukraine despite all these peace talks happening in abu dhabi 
it's like, don't they want a ceasefire? 
the drone strikes are getting worse too, at least 31 people wounded just yesterday... what's going on with putin?!? 
he's really not playing fair, i feel so bad for the ukrainians 
hope these talks can actually lead to some peace soon 
. Like, don't they know it's a bit of a conflict zone already? I mean, Russia is basically just escalating things before even trying to negotiate. And what's up with the US bringing in these big shots like Witkoff and Kushner? Can't they see how biased that is? 
The talks are supposed to be about peace, but it feels like everyone's already got their own agenda going on...
also gotta say, i'm really hopeful that these us-russia talks will lead to some positive changes 
they just wanna be friends but Putin is all like "nyet" 
anyway, my friend's sister lives in Kyiv and she's been telling me about how scary it is over there 
what do u think is gonna happen at these talks tho? 
. Like what kinda monster orders drone strikes against civilians when there are talks going on?! 
Putin needs to chill and let the diplomats do their job, ya feel? 
. We gotta keep the pressure on Russia to stop this bloodshed ASAP 
. One person is already dead & 31 others got hurt 
. Can't they see that talks are underway? 
. Andrii Sybiha is totally right, Putin needs to stop targeting civilians 
. The talks have potential, but I don't know how much longer this can keep going 
The talks are a good start, but Russia's all in on the "we're gonna keep bombing no matter what" vibe... 
.
. It's just not cool, you know? And what's with Putin trying to pull a fast one on Ukraine right now? He thinks he can just pretend to be interested in peace while still trying to take over their country 
at least 31 people wounded and one person dead in just two days... how many more ppl need to lose their lives before some sanity sets in ? 
ukrainian foreign minister sybiha is calling out putin for ordering the attacks while talks are happening, nice move putin 