Drone Strikes in Ukraine and Russia Ahead of Peace Talks

KYIV, Ukraine — A drone strike has resulted in a fatality in both Ukraine and Russia, according to officials on Saturday, just ahead of fresh discussions set for next week aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that a Russian drone crashed into a residential structure in Odesa, a Black Sea port city, leading to the death of an elderly woman.

In Russia, regional governor Alexander Bogomaz indicated that a civilian lost their life due to a Ukrainian drone strike targeting a vehicle in the Bryansk region.

The incident followed a Ukrainian missile strike the previous day in the Russian border city of Belgorod, which resulted in two deaths and injuries to five individuals, as reported by regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

In a different development, new U.S.-mediated talks between representatives from Russia and Ukraine are scheduled in Geneva next week, coinciding with the impending fourth anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to announcements from officials in both Moscow and Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that these discussions are to occur on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Dmytro Litvin, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, verified the upcoming negotiation round.

These talks are taking place amidst ongoing clashes along a front approximately 1,250 kilometers (about 750 miles) long, compounded by consistent Russian shelling targeting civilian areas and the power infrastructure in Ukraine, along with frequent long-range drone attacks by Ukraine on facilities in Russia linked to the war.

Previous U.S.-led attempts to reach a settlement, including two rounds held in Abu Dhabi, have fallen short of addressing key issues, particularly concerning the status of Ukraine’s Donbas region, which remains largely under Russian occupation.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, President Zelensky expressed gratitude to the United States and European allies for their assistance in safeguarding Ukrainian infrastructure such as power plants and supplying vital air defense systems.

“Russian strikes happen almost nightly in Ukraine, and there are significant assaults at least weekly,” he remarked in English. “Without the support from Americans, Europeans, and all of you, it would have been extremely difficult to maintain our position.”

He emphasized that Ukraine’s safety must take precedence before any peace agreement with Russia can be considered.

President Zelensky also mentioned last week that a June deadline has been set by the U.S. for both Ukraine and Russia to come to an agreement. However, earlier deadlines established by former President Donald Trump had little impact.