Ukraine, Russia Talks Stall Amid Drone Strikes, Prisoner Swap⁤ prep

ISTANBUL — The latest round of peace talks ‍between ukrainian and⁢ Russian delegations in⁣ Turkey wrapped‍ up quickly Monday, according to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian media reports. ​the ⁤meeting lasted just over an hour.

Zelenskyy, speaking⁣ from Vilnius, Lithuania, indicated that while negotiations ‍toward​ a ceasefire‍ remain stalled,⁤ progress is⁢ being made on other fronts. “Both sides exchanged documents through the Turkish side,” Zelenskyy said, “and we ⁤are‌ preparing a new release of prisoners of the war.”

Hopes ‍for a notable​ breakthrough in ending the three-year ​conflict were tempered by a series of Ukrainian⁣ attacks over the weekend. Kyiv⁢ officials asserted that a surprise drone assault on Sunday damaged or destroyed more than 40 Russian warplanes ​at ⁢airfields deep within Russia,⁤ some ⁤more⁢ than 4,300 miles from Ukrainian territory. The drone attacks ⁣highlight the ongoing conflict and the⁤ challenges in‍ achieving a lasting peace.

Vasyl Maliuk, head of ukraine’s ‍security service, described the⁢ operation as ​”a major slap in‍ the face for