Russia positive on talks progress

MOSCOW is hoping to achieve “some progress” at talks in Saudi Arabia today, a Russian negotiator told state media before the US meets Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately in a bid to halt the three-year conflict.

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US envoy Keith Kellogg described the effort as “shuttle diplomacy” between hotel rooms.

Ukraine will meet the US mediators first, with President Volodymyr Zelen-skiy saying he was “prepared” for talks.

A separate meeting between US and Russian officials in the Gulf kingdom was scheduled today.

Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukraine proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, countering with a suggested pause on aerial attacks on energy facilities.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have continued exchanging strikes in the run-up to the negotiations.

Last week, a Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zapor-izhzhia killed a family of three, triggering anger among Ukrainian officials.

Russia also launched drone attacks on Kyiv that hit apartment buildings and caused fires, killing at least two people, Ukraine's emergency service said yesterday.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said yesterday a “massive attack by enemy UAVs” caused falling debris in several districts of the city, wounding seven.

Russia's defence ministry said it had “destroyed and intercepted” 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly over the regions of Rostov and Astrakhan.