Zelenskyy confirms Ukraine to take part in upcoming peace talks with Russia in Istanbul
1 June 2025, 14:17 | Updated: 2 June 2025, 00:34
President Zelenskyy has confirmed Ukraine will take part in peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The announcement comes even as Russia pounded Ukraine with a missile strike that killed 12 soldiers and the biggest drone assault of the three-year war.
In a statement on Telegram, Mr Zelenskyy said defence minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation.
"We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state and our people," Mr Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian officials had previously called on the Kremlin to provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the war before the meeting takes place.
Moscow had said it would share its memorandum during the talks.
Russia launched the biggest number of drones on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion three years ago, Ukraine's air force said on Sunday.
The air force said 472 drones were launched over Ukraine.
Read more: British businessman 'caught spying for China' faces 40 years in US prison after FBI sting
Russian forces also launched seven missiles alongside the barrage of drones, said Yuriy Ignat, head of communications for the Ukrainian air force.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine's army said at least 12 Ukrainian service members were killed and more than 60 were injured in a Russian missile strike on an army training unit.
The strike happened at 12.50pm, the statement said, emphasising that no formations or mass gatherings of personnel were being held at the time.
An investigative commission was created to uncover the circumstances around the attack that led to such a loss in personnel, the statement said.
The training unit is located to the rear of the 620-mile active front line, where Russian reconnaissance and strike drones are able to strike.
Ukraine's forces suffer from manpower shortages and take extra precautions to avoid mass gatherings as the skies across the front line are saturated with Russian drones looking for targets.
I heard reports from the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the General Staff, our intelligence agencies, and the Security Service of Ukraine. Our defense, our active actions, and our diplomacy.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025
We are doing everything to protect our independence,… pic.twitter.com/MAz2stbUUR
"If it is established that the actions or inaction of officials led to the death or injury of servicemen, those responsible will be held strictly accountable," the Ukrainian Ground Forces' statement said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes were reported deep in Russian territory on Sunday, including in the Siberian region of Irkutsk, more than 2,800 miles east of Moscow.
It is the first time that a Ukrainian drone has been seen in the region, governor Igor Kobzeva said, stressing that it did not present a threat to civilians.
Other drone strikes were also reported in Russia's Ryazan region and the Arctic Murmansk region. No casualties were reported.
