Ahead of Russian Peace Talks with Ukraine, Both Accuse Each Other of Overnight Attacks

UKRAINE – Ahead of the scheduled Russian peace talks with Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, both Moscow and Kyiv on Tuesday accused each other of overnight attacks.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed in a statement on Telegram that the country’s air defenses shot down 151 Ukrainian drones overnight, of which 79 were downed over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

A fire has broken out at the Ilsky oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region due to the overnight drone attack, the regional task force declared, noting that the fire covered an area of approximately 700 square meters.

Separately, Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin declared that the resort city was subject to a “massive” drone attack, noting that falling debris from downed drones was reported in several areas, but there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.

In Ukraine, Serhii Lysak, head of the Odesa City Military Administration, said on Telegram that at least two people were injured due to overnight Russian strikes on the port city, which he said damaged infrastructure and civilian buildings.

Ukrainian private energy company DTEK announced that energy infrastructure in the city has been hit, describing the damage as “extremely serious.”

Meanwhile, Dnipropetrovsk Governor Oleksandr Hanzha stated that a private enterprise, administrative buildings, houses, and cars were damaged in the region’s administrative center following the airstrikes.

“The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva. Main targets – energy and civilian infrastructure,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on the US social media platform X, calling for further sanctions on Russia.

The Ukrainian Air Force later claimed that the country’s air defenses downed 367 out of 396 drones, as well as all 25 missiles, launched by Russia overnight.

The claims come as a new round of peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US will be held in Geneva over two days, starting later Tuesday, which the Kremlin said will focus on territorial issues.

An initial two rounds of US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in January and earlier this month.

As a result of the second round of talks on Feb. 4-5, both countries agreed to the first exchange of war prisoners in five months.