Russian drone strikes killed two civilians in the Ukrainian city of Ladyzhyn in the western Vinnytsia region on Tuesday, hours before major US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine began in the Middle East. The attacks also seriously damaged civilian infrastructure, according to local official Oleksandr Kolomiiets, who confirmed the deaths and said the community had declared three days of mourning starting that day.
US-Mediated Talks Open in Abu Dhabi
Shortly after the strikes, tri-lateral talks between Russian and Ukrainian diplomats and intelligence officials began in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the US. These are the first serious negotiations between the two sides since February, more than four years into the war. The talks are being overseen by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and former estate agent turned Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.
The talks started a day after Donald Trump said Ukraine would have to take on a different "shape," hinting strongly that he believes Kyiv will have to give up territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said from the beginning of the war that Kyiv will not agree to give up ground to the Russian invasion.
Key Issues and Delegations
At the centre of the two-day talks are what security guarantees Ukraine can seek to ensure that if the war ends, Russia will not restart hostilities. Ukraine's eastern region, the Donbas, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk, makes up 25% of the country, and much of this is occupied by Russian troops. Russia also invaded Crimea, another part of Ukraine, in 2014 shortly after the Maidan Revolution.
The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, and also includes Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Presidential Office. The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardliner and aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin who has declared Russia is prepared to continue the war. His inclusion is being seen as an aggressive move by the Kremlin to deploy an extreme nationalist representative to the negotiations.
Hardliner Leads Russian Team
Medinsky is obsessed with Ukraine becoming part of Russia, which has been the main aim of Moscow leader Vladimir Putin. He is one of the Kremlin's most outspoken propagandists and has played a key role for Russia in leading several unsuccessful rounds of talks in March 2022, again in May and June 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey, and in Geneva, Switzerland, in February this year. His delegation also includes Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), and intelligence agency commanders.
Weeks ago, President Zelensky described giving up territory as a red-line, adding: "If we withdraw from the Donbas today - our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control - we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive." The biggest hurdle for Ukraine is how to ensure Russia does not return to war, given immense distrust of the Kremlin, which has not stuck to agreements in the past.
