Leading the Ukrainian delegation was Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was in Istanbul for the discussions, according to Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in a message shared on the Ukrainian Embassy’s WhatsApp group.
The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived on Sunday evening, as reported by Russian state media.
Turkish officials announced that the meeting would commence at 1 pm local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan overseeing the talks, along with officials from the Turkish intelligence agency present.
However, spokesperson Tykhyi indicated that the start time would be at midday local time, creating a discrepancy that could not be clarified immediately.
Recent remarks from high-ranking officials in both nations suggest significant gaps remain regarding the critical conditions for halting the war. Intense fighting has continued along the approximately 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, with both sides launching deep strikes against each other’s territories.
On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone strike reportedly destroyed over 40 Russian planes within Russian territory, according to Ukraine’s Security Service, while Moscow retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.
Russian air defenses intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions overnight, including over Crimea, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula, as stated by Russia’s Defence Ministry on Monday.
In response, Ukrainian air defenses reportedly damaged 52 out of the 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.
On Monday morning, two ballistic missiles struck a residential area in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, one of which hit near a school, according to the city’s mayor.
One missile landed close to an apartment building, while the second impacted a road near the school, as detailed by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who also published a photo showcasing a large crater.
“Standing next to the crater, you realize how different it all could have been,” Terekhov wrote. “A few more meters — and it would have hit the building. A few more minutes — and cars, buses would have been on the road.” Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
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