The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine kicked off on June 2 in Istanbul. The talks took place hours after Ukraine launched a massive drone attack and damaged 40 military aircraft, including nuclear bombers.
In response to the Ukrainian strike, Moscow also launched a massive offensive across Ukraine.
Delayed start for Russia-Ukraine talks
According to reports, the talks began two hours late from the scheduled time,10 am GST. The talks started at half past noon. On the other hand, Turkey urged the United States to play its role as it is crucial for the peace deal between the two nations.
Ukraine conducted coordinated drone assault
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday claimed that Ukrainian armed forces had conducted a “brilliant operation” aimed “exclusively at military targets” inside Russian territory, resulting in what he termed as “justified and deserved” losses for Russia.
Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine’s Security Service
In his national address, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine’s Security Service and everyone involved in the operation, stating that 117 drones were used. He revealed that the operation took more than a year and a half to prepare, with planning, organisation, and execution described as flawless.
‘Brilliant operation was carried out’
“Just now, I received a report from Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk — a brilliant operation was carried out. It took place on enemy territory and was aimed exclusively at military targets — specifically, the equipment used in strikes against Ukraine,” he said. “Russia suffered truly significant losses — entirely justified and deserved.”
Today, a brilliant operation was carried out. The preparation took over a year and a half. What’s most interesting, is that the “office” of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 1, 2025
In total, 117 drones were used in… pic.twitter.com/tU0SMN9jdB
