Putin says Russia ready for new peace talks with Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia is open to resuming peace talks with Ukraine possibly in Istanbul, although no agreement has been reached on the timing or location.

Speaking in Minsk, Putin acknowledged that significant differences remain between the proposals previously exchanged by both countries but expressed optimism that ongoing discussions could help bridge those gaps.

He added that negotiators from both sides remain in regular contact and confirmed Russia’s willingness to hand over the remains of an additional 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

Meanwhile, Russian forces launched 363 Shahed and decoy drones as well as eight missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Friday, claiming that air defences stopped all but four of the drones and downed six cruise missiles.

Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said 39 Ukrainian drones were downed in several regions overnight, including 19 over the Rostov region and 13 over the Volgograd region. Both regions lie east of Ukraine.

Long-range drone strikes have been a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones has turned the war into a testing ground for new weaponry.

The Ukrainian air force said that 359 incoming drones were either intercepted or electronically jammed.

Ukraine is employing new countermeasures against Russia’s escalation of combined missile and drone attacks, officials say. Instead of relying on ground-based mobile teams to shoot down Shaheds, Ukraine is deploying interceptor drones it has developed.

The Ukrainian attack forced three Russian airports to briefly suspend flights, officials said. The authorities also briefly closed the Crimean Bridge overnight as drones targeted Crimea.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine reported any major damage or casualties in the attacks.

With inputs from agencies