Ukraine, Russia hold second round of peace talks in Turkey amid massive drone strikes
The meeting, hosted at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace, lasted over an hour. 'The meeting is over. It didn't end negatively,' said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli, according to AFP.
Ukraine's delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, while Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky headed the Russian side. The first round of talks on May 16 had seen limited progress, with both sides agreeing on a prisoner swap.
Drone Assault: Operation 'Spider Web'
Just a day before the talks, Ukraine launched a large-scale drone operation dubbed 'Spider Web,' reportedly directed by President Zelenskyy. The strike targeted four military airfields deep inside Russian territory.
According to the Associated Press, Ukraine deployed 117 drones, inflicting heavy damage on 34% of Russia's fleet of air missile carriers. Among the affected aircraft were the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, as well as an A-50 radar plane.
One of the farthest targets, the Belaya air base in Irkutsk—over 4,000 km from Ukraine—was among the sites hit.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the attacks, reporting damage and fires at airbases in the Irkutsk and Murmansk regions, and repelled strikes in Amur, Ivanovo, and Ryazan.
Despite the military tensions, the talks suggest a possible diplomatic opening as global pressure mounts for a resolution.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
The amount of aid entering Gaza remains "very insufficient" despite a limited improvement, the German government said on Saturday (August 2, 2025) after ministers discussed ways to heighten pressure on Israel. The criticism came after Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the region this week and the German military staged its first food airdrops into Gaza, where aid agencies say that more than two million Palestinians are facing starvation. Germany "notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation," government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. "Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid," Kornelius added. Facing mounting international criticism over its military operations in Gaza, Israel has allowed more trucks to cross the border and some foreign nations to carry out airdrops of food and medicines. International agencies say the amount of aid entering Gaza is still dangerously low, however. The United Nations has said that 6,000 trucks are awaiting permission from Israel to enter the occupied Palestinian territory. The German government, traditionally a strong supporter of Israel, also expressed "concern regarding reports that large quantities of humanitarian aid are being withheld by Hamas and criminal organisations". Israel has alleged that much of the aid arriving in the territory is being siphoned off by Hamas, which runs Gaza. The Israeli army is accused of having equipped Palestinian criminal networks in its fight against Hamas and of allowing them to plunder aid deliveries. "The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces," Jonathan Whittall of OCHA, the United Nations agency for coordinating humanitarian affairs, told reporters in May. A German government source told AFP it had noted that Israel has "considerably" increased the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to about 220 a day. Berlin has taken a tougher line against Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. Germany on partial suspension of arms deliveries to Israel The source said that a German security cabinet meeting on Saturday discussed "the different options" for putting pressure on Israel, but no decision was taken. A partial suspension of arms deliveries to Israel is one option that has been raised. Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's military offensive on Gaza since then has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The U.N. considers the ministry's figures reliable.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
Former Malian prime minister charged after criticising military rule online
A Malian court has detained and charged former Prime Minister Moussa Mara over a social media post critical of the country's military-led government. read more A Malian court has detained and charged former Prime Minister Moussa Mara over a social media post criticising shrinking democratic space under military rule in the West African nation, his lawyer said late Friday. Mara is one of few public figures in the country who has been willing to openly question moves taken this year to dissolve political parties and grant the military government, led by Assimi Goita, a five-year mandate without elections. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Last month, authorities formally approved Goita's five-year term and said it could be renewed as many times as necessary as Mali struggles to respond to a long-running jihadist insurgency. More from World Trump new tariffs: How India stacks up against rest of Asia Goita assumed power after military coups in 2020 and 2021. Mara had been summoned several times for questioning this month over a social media post dated July 4 expressing solidarity with government critics who have been jailed. On July 21, his lawyer, Mountaga Tall, posted on social media site X that Mara had been barred from boarding a flight to Senegal to participate in a regional conference on peace and security. On Friday, Mara was summoned by a judicial cybercrimes unit, and a prosecutor charged him with offences including undermining the credibility of the state and spreading false information, Tall said in a statement. Mara's trial has been scheduled for September 29, Tall said. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case against Mara comes amid worsening insecurity in Mali. The past few months have seen a surge of deadly attacks by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group that also operates in Burkina Faso and Niger. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Analysts say the group's battlefield tactics have grown increasingly sophisticated and that it has amassed substantial resources through raids on military posts, cattle rustling, hijacking of goods, kidnappings and taxes on local communities. On Friday, the group said it had ambushed a convoy of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries in the Tenenkou locality in central Mali. Mali's army confirmed the ambush in a statement on X. Neither statement gave a death toll.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India on path to becoming world's third-largest economy, says PM Modi
Asserting that India is on the path to becoming the world's third-largest economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the country must remain alert to its own economic priorities amid the instability and uncertainty facing the world economy. PM Modi's remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump called India a "dead economy" after announcing a 25 per cent tariff on the import of Indian goods along with an unspecified "penalty" for buying Russian military equipment and crude oil. Addressing a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Saturday, Modi said, "As we talk about economic progress, I want to draw your attention to the current global scenario. "The world economy is facing instability and uncertainty. In such times, countries are focusing solely on their own interests. India, too, is on the path to becoming the world's third-largest economy and must remain alert to its own economic priorities." The prime minister also made a renewed push for 'Swadeshi', stressing that every party, leader and citizen must work to promote indigenous goods if "we want India to become the third-largest economy". Making a special appeal to traders and shopkeepers, the prime minister said, "At a time when the world is going through uncertainty, let us take a pledge to sell only Swadeshi goods from our shops and markets. Promoting made in India goods will be the truest service to the country." He also urged people to be conscious consumers, saying, "Whatever we buy, we should ask ourselves -- has an Indian toiled to make this? If it has been made by the sweat of our people, with their skills, that product is Swadeshi for us. We must adopt the mantra of 'Vocal for Local'." "The feeling of Swadeshi in every action will define our future. This will also be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Only through collective effort can we fulfil the dream of a developed India," Modi said. The prime minister, who was addressing a massive public gathering on Saturday in Banauli village, highlighted the government's farmer-centric policies in detail. He said the government is constantly working for the well-being of farmers. Calling for a national movement to support local products, the prime minister said, "This is not just about Modi saying it, every Indian should say this -- if we want India to become the third-largest economy, every political party and every leader, keeping aside their hesitations, must work in the nation's interest and awaken the spirit of Swadeshi among the people." The US tariff action is being seen as a pressure tactic to get New Delhi to agree to demands made by the US, which has, in recent days, got favourable trade deals with major partners like Japan, the UK and the European Union. India has especially toughened its stance on extending duty concessions on agri products, dairy and GM foods in the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US. With the US not able to finalise a deal with India so far, Trump on Thursday announced the imposition of an additional 25 per cent import duty on Indian goods entering American markets from August 7. Earlier, this duty was to be imposed from August 1. The President has also not specified the penalty that he announced against India for buying crude oil and military equipment from Russia. In the backdrop of Trump's "dead economy" barb at India, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had told Parliament on Thursday that India is the world's fastest-growing major economy and widely expected to be the "third largest economy" in a few years. Goyal also said India will take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote national interest and that the implications of the US tariffs are being examined. In a post on Truth Social, Trump had said, "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. "We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World." His remarks were echoed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who said President Trump has stated a "fact", prompting a strong condemnation from the BJP. While announcing the tariff, Trump described India's trade policies as "most strenuous and obnoxious".
