Will Ukraine’s ‘massive attack’ on Russian air assets cast a shadow over Istanbul talks?

Kyiv/Moscow: A day before Russian and Ukrainian delegations are scheduled to meet in Istanbul for the second round of talks on ending their conflict, Ukraine on Sunday claimed a massive strike on Russian strategic aviation assets in Siberia, Murmansk in the north and other places.

While Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier on Sunday that a delegation will be going to Turkey with the main aim of reaching a “complete and unconditional ceasefire”, and Russian media also reported that a Russian delegation has departed for the talks in Turkey, how this dramatic escalation will play out on the course of negotiations remains to be seen.

The reported attacks on the airfields came as two bridge collapses led to the derailment of trains in the Russian regions of Bryansk and Kursk, leaving at least seven people dead and multiple others wounded.

The Russian Investigative Committee said that both incidents were deliberate acts of sabotage and has blamed Ukraine.

The string of incidents comes hours before the talks, and Russian authorities are yet to react to the attack on the airfields, which the Ukrainian secret service, SBU, has proudly flaunted.

While Ukrainian strategic experts and journalists also exulted in the destruction of Russian aircraft, the Russian military was yet to react. Though authorities in Irkutsk and Murmansk did confirm drone attacks, they did not give many details.

The latest attacks come amid Ukraine’s significantly rising drone strikes into Russia in recent weeks, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and Russia launching several retaliatory strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry facilities, as well as other military targets.

With the BBC citing SBU sources as saying the attack on Russian airfields took over a year to organise and was personally overseen by Zelensky, Russia is likely to harden its position.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that the growing Ukrainian attacks are a bid by Kiev to derail the peace process. With Ukraine reportedly upping the ante by targeting Russia’s strategic aircraft fleet, a part of its nuclear triad, Moscow is certain not to sit quietly.

Apart from the military retaliation, its diplomatic response remains to be seen.

IANS