French media reported that Ukraine drone attacks on Russian airports reportedly damaged more than 40 Russian aircraft, and the Ukrainian Army Commander resigned due to Russian missile strikes.

In the days leading up to the second round of talks scheduled for Monday in Istanbul, Turkey, the fighting between Ukraine and Russia escalated sharply, marking one of the largest drone confrontations since the start of the war. Over the weekend, two bridge collapses occurred in Russia. The Investigative Committee of Russia stated that both incidents were caused by explosions, categorizing the two bridge bombings as acts of terrorism. Additionally, sources from Ukraine's security department claimed that on Sunday, Ukrainian drones attacked several Russian military airbases, including a military base in Belaya in eastern Siberia.

Whether Ukraine would participate in the negotiations remained unresolved in the days prior. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Defense Minister Umerov will meet with Russian officials in the second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday.

This negotiation proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far resulted in the largest prisoner exchange agreement since the start of the war, but no consensus has been reached on how to stop the fighting. However, while peace negotiations are ongoing, hostilities continue.

It was reported that a bridge in the Bryansk region of Russia collapsed on Saturday night, causing a passenger train to derail. According to Governor Bogomaz of Bryansk, at least 7 people died and 71 others were injured in the incident.

Sunday morning saw another railway bridge collapse in Kursk region of Russia. The acting governor of the region posted on social media stating that a railway bridge in the Reshetylovska district collapsed while a freight train was passing through early that morning. Both Kursk and Bryansk regions border Ukraine.

According to sources from Ukraine's Security Service, Ukrainian drones attacked multiple Russian military airbases on Sunday, reportedly hitting 41 Russian strategic aviation aircraft during the operation. It is said that President Zelenskyy personally supervised this operation, which was implemented by the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Malyuk, and his staff.

Informants told Ukrainska Pravda that this operation resulted in approximately 40 Russian military aircraft being damaged, particularly the strategic bomber fleet suffering severe damage. An insider from the Ukrainian Security Service stated that this operation had been planned for over a year and a half.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched an attack involving 472 drones and 7 missiles; Ukraine claimed to have intercepted 382 drones and 3 missiles. This is the largest number of nighttime drone launches in the Russia-Ukraine conflict so far.

Sunday saw Oleksandr Mykhailo, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Land Forces, submit his resignation letter, citing a fatal airstrike on a training facility. Mykhailo has commanded Ukraine's vast wartime army since November last year.

Mykhailo wrote on Facebook: "This is determined by my personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy at the 239th Training Ground, which led to the loss of our soldiers' lives." A previous statement from the Ukrainian Army said that the Russian missile strike on Sunday resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers and injured 60 others.

The Russian military claims to have advanced into Sumy region of Ukraine. Public pro-Ukrainian maps show that Russian forces occupied 450 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in May, which, if true, marks the fastest monthly advance rate in at least six months.

U.S. President Donald Trump demanded a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, threatening to withdraw support if they fail to do so, which could shift the responsibility of supporting Ukraine onto European powers with much smaller arms inventories than the United States.

According to Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine-Russia affairs, both sides will present their respective documents outlining their visions for peace terms in Turkey, although it is clear that the distance between Moscow and Kyiv to reach a compromise remains significant after three years of intense warfare.

Documents seen by Reuters showed that Ukrainian negotiators will present a proposed roadmap for achieving a lasting peace solution to the Russian side in Istanbul. The document states that after the peace agreement is reached, Ukraine's military strength will not be restricted, the international community will not recognize Russia's sovereignty over the parts of Ukraine occupied by its troops, and compensation will be required from Ukraine.

The document also noted that the current frontline positions will serve as the starting point for territorial negotiations. Russia currently controls slightly less than one-fifth of Ukraine's land area, approximately 113,100 square kilometers, roughly the size of Ohio in the United States.

Source: ifr

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833752337160200/

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