Ukraine, Russia launch drone strikes after latest round of peace talks

Ukraine and Russia launched drone strikes against each other early Thursday, officials from both sides said, just hours after concluding the latest round of direct talks aimed at finding a solution after nearly three and a half years of war.

Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another, and striking an oil storage depot.

Russian forces staged another mass attack on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.

Emergency officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region said on Telegram that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in the Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil facility, though no further details were provided.

Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations at Sochi airport were suspended for about four hours.

In Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building were set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks, and at a petrol station. The city’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit.

Kiper said information on casualties was still being compiled.

Reuters could not independently verify accounts from either side.

Earlier, negotiators from both delegations met briefly in Istanbul and discussed further prisoner swaps, but remained far apart on ceasefire terms and the possibility of a meeting between their leaders.

Ukraine’s military has frequently launched drone attacks on Russian targets far from the front lines, particularly against energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russian forces have recently stepped up drone attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities.