Russia accused of ‘hole talks’ as strikes hit Sumy

Russia has launched a missile strike concentrating on north-eastern Ukraine as US and Russian officers met to push for a pause within the conflict.

After Monday’s assault, which injured dozens within the metropolis of Sumy, Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned Russia should finish strikes as a substitute of “making hole statements about peace”.

The most recent spherical of talks between the US and Russia concluded on Monday within the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Prime of the agenda was reportedly the revival of a 2022 grain deal permitting Kyiv to export throughout the Black Sea.

In return, Moscow is alleged to be in search of aid from Western sanctions, enabling it to export fertilisers.

The Russia-US talks went on for 12 hours. Russian information companies mentioned a joint assertion could be launched on Tuesday.

However optimistic US ambitions for ending this conflict have had a head-on collision with actuality. Discovering widespread floor for even a partial ceasefire is proving a extremely advanced activity.

This isn’t one thing that may be solved rapidly. So within the present talks, the purpose has been to provide you with a type of “ceasefire mild”, specializing in the Black Sea.

Russia stopped giving secure passage to cargo ships going to and from Ukraine in mid-2023, when it pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal complaining that sanctions had been nonetheless in place.

The Ukrainian delegation is in the identical constructing – however there aren’t any plans for the warring sides to fulfill. The Ukrainians remained there after assembly American counterparts on Sunday night.

Kyiv described talks as “productive and centered”, whereas US President Donald Trump’s particular envoy mentioned separate discussions with Ukrainian and Russian groups would result in “some actual progress” to ending the conflict.

Each Russia and Ukraine have continued preventing regardless of the continuing talks trying to carry a halt to hostilities throughout the huge entrance line.

Ukrainian officers say 65 individuals, together with 14 youngsters, had been injured in Monday’s assault on Sumy.

Town has lengthy been the topic of Russian strikes – it lies simply over the border from the Kursk area of Russia occupied by Ukraine final yr. However Monday’s missile strike was distinctive.

The authorities mentioned a college, hospital and condo blocks had been broken. Scores had been injured – together with youngsters.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal mentioned the assault confirmed Russia was “as soon as once more displaying that it desires to proceed the phobia”.

“The worldwide neighborhood should improve the strain on Russia to cease the aggression and guarantee justice and save the lives of Ukrainians,” he wrote on X.

Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk area, components of which have been occupied by Ukrainian troops to strengthen Kyiv’s hand in any negotiations, although they’ve been pressured again in latest weeks.

Russia and Ukraine have accused one another of not abiding by final week’s deal for a 30-day ceasefire throughout which the opponents would chorus from concentrating on infrastructure services.

Russia’s defence ministry mentioned Ukraine launched a drone assault in opposition to the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in Krasnodar, southern Russia, at 02:00 native time on Monday (23:00 GMT on Sunday), in accordance with Russian state media.

The defence ministry mentioned it had shot down in a single day 227 Ukrainian drones in a number of Russian areas.

In the meantime, a Russian air strike injured a 37-year-old man in Ukraine’s Kyiv area, in accordance with native authorities.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow at the moment controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

The present negotiations, mediated by the US, are a part of Trump’s plan to safe a wider ceasefire in Ukraine.

His particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, mentioned he was hopeful that actual progress could be made in the course of the talks, in an interview with Fox Information.

After Sunday night’s assembly between Kyiv and Washington, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov mentioned the talks had been working in the direction of securing “a simply and lasting peace” for Ukraine and Europe.

“The dialogue was productive and centered – we addressed key factors together with power”, he mentioned in a put up on X.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned forward of Monday’s assembly there have been “tough negotiations forward”.

“We’re solely at the start of this path,” he informed Russian State TV.