RUSSIA – The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Ukrainian army carried out fresh drone attacks on Russia today, in the early hours of Monday, using 162 drones, despite the scheduled direct talks in Turkey.

The ministry said in a statement the air raid targeted nine Russian regions, claiming most of the drones were either jammed or shot down.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media reported, citing intelligence sources, that the attack was part of the Ukraine’s security service operation Pautina (Web), targeting more than 40 Russian military aircraft, including heavy bombers A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22 M3 capable of carrying nuclear arms.

Meanwhile, the Russian Health Ministry said the number of injured in the June 1 collapse of two road bridges in the Bryansk region, allegedly also a Ukrainian intelligence operation, rose to 97 people—64 of them were hospitalized.

Ukraine has yet to comment on Russia’s claims, and independent verification is challenging due to the ongoing armed conflict.

Russia-Ukraine Talks in Istanbul Today

A trilateral meeting between delegations from Türkiye, Russia, and Ukraine is scheduled to begin at 1 pm local time on Monday at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

The talks will be chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and are expected to bring together senior officials from all three countries. Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director İbrahim Kalin is also slated to attend.

This meeting marks the second round of negotiations hosted by Türkiye, following the May 16 session in Istanbul, where the parties agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and outlined their positions on a potential cease-fire. The sides also committed to continuing dialogue in an effort to de-escalate the ongoing conflict.

Ankara has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war and has repeatedly offered its mediation to facilitate dialogue and peace efforts.