On the 11th of the month (local time), the Russian military launched a drone (unmanned aircraft) attack on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. This occurred just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed “direct talks” with Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the mayor of Kyiv stated, “Ukrainian air defense units are making efforts to repel Russia’s attack on Kyiv,” confirming that the Russian military initiated a drone attack on Kyiv just hours after President Putin’s proposal for “direct talks.”
A witness reported to Reuters that they heard what sounded like explosions from air defense systems operating in central Kyiv.
Earlier that day, President Putin had proposed holding unconditional “direct talks” between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, on the 15th, during a press conference held at the Kremlin. He mentioned that a new ceasefire agreement could potentially be reached during these talks.
He emphasized that this proposal aimed to address the root causes of the conflict and restore long-term, sustainable peace. Putin also claimed that the lack of face-to-face negotiations between Russia and Ukraine was Ukraine’s fault, asserting that Russia has consistently hoped to resume direct negotiations.
However, the latest drone attack by the Russian military raises questions about President Putin’s intentions regarding his proposal for direct talks and commitment to a ceasefire agreement. International media highlighted that Putin’s proposal for direct talks came without a clear response to the call for a “30-day ceasefire agreement” amid warnings of additional sanctions from Europe and the United States, suggesting that the negotiation offer might be a tactic to buy time and avoid Western sanctions.