Russia strikes Ukraine with deadly attacks ahead of planned Istanbul talks with Kyiv

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine will meet in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks.

The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, according to Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy Whatsapp group.

The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived on Sunday evening, Russian state media reported.

Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time (10:00 GMT), with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present.

However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time.It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy.

Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on resolving key conditions for stopping the war.

Fierce fighting has in the meantime continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other’s territory with deep strikes.

It comes as a Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory, Ukraine's Security Service said on Sunday, while Moscow pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones just hours before the new round of talks.