Russia Attacks Ukraine Ahead Of Peace Talks

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia launched 42 drone attacks across Ukraine—striking Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Sumy, and Odesa—injuring at least a dozen people, despite both countries agreeing to meet for peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, officials said.

Tuesday’s reported attacks came a day after Russia unleashed one of its most significant strikes in months—426 drones and 24 missiles—killing civilians, including children, in Sumy, Odesa, Kramatorsk, and Kyiv, the capital, according to authorities and eyewitnesses.

With fighting escalating, Moscow cautioned that their positions on how to reach peace remain “diametrically opposed” to those expressed by Kyiv.

At the same time, Kyiv struck deep into Russia with Ukrainian forces reportedly carrying out four straight nights of drone strikes targeting Moscow’s airports, triggering major disruptions.

Those attacks did not deter Russia, which controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

The latest Russian attacks, which added to anxiety among residents hiding in underground metro stations and other shelters, underscored defense needs, Kyiv said.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister explained that the country requires at least $120 billion for defence next year, with ongoing negotiations to secure roughly $60 billion from the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

EUROPE PAYS

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has made clear he wants Europe to pick up the tab for the new deliveries of weapons to Ukraine.

There is also concern in Ukraine over critical ammunition shortages, prompting Britain and its allies to train over 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers under Operation Interflex to maximize the effectiveness of still available supplies.

With the death toll rising, the European Union approved its toughest sanctions yet against Russia—covering energy, banking, military sectors, plus price caps on oil and sanctions on Belarus.

Initially, the EU envisaged a full phase‐out of Russian oil and gas by 2027–2028.

However, Brussels postponed the phase-out after veto-yielding EU member states, Hungary and Slovakia, threatened to block the package, as both heavily depend on Russian natural gas and oil.

EU leaders agreed to give them more time to adapt, while the European Commission, the executive body, guaranteed emergency interventions during energy shortages.

It pledged to introduce measures “to mitigate price surges and tariffs”, compensation, and legal support against potential disputes with Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.

TOUGH CHALLENGE

The pledge was crucial for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces a tough challenge from the opposition ahead of next year’s elections.

Yet the Kremlin-friendly Orbán so far managed to offer his voters one of the lowest energy prices in Europe due to ongoing deals with Russia.

Brussels and Washington hope the prospect of more military aid to Ukraine and sanctions will pressure Russia to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.

The Istanbul talks, set to begin on Wednesday, were intended to address prisoner-of-war exchanges and abduction issues, but deep disagreements remain, and a breakthrough seemed unlikely, according to Russian and other sources.

Yet, plans are already underway for the reconstruction of Ukraine, which is expected to cost at least 524 billion euros ($616 billion) over the next decade, according to Kyiv, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations. Some have suggested that the total cost of reconstruction could reach as high as 1 trillion euros (nearly $1.2 trillion).

Yet, despite the significant amount of money expected, Ukraine is under mounting pressure to tackle corruption. Ukraine’s parliament passed legislation weakening anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO, sparking domestic and EU concern over democratic backsliding.

Amid tensions over the reforms, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal resigned. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had offered Shmyhal’s job to 39-year-old Yuliia Svyrydenko, who is currently deputy prime minister and the country’s first female economy minister.

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