Secret Peace Negotiations Underway Amid Escalating Conflict
High-level secret talks between United States officials, Russian delegates, and Ukrainian representatives are currently taking place in Abu Dhabi as efforts intensify to broker a peace deal to end the nearly four-year war. The negotiations come at a critical juncture, with US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll meeting with a Russian delegation on Monday night and scheduled to speak with Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, on Tuesday.
The diplomatic push follows this weekend's discussions between US and Ukrainian officials in Geneva, where negotiators developed what has been described as an 'updated and refined peace framework'. This comes after a draft of President Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan leaked last week, causing significant concern among European allies and in Kyiv.
Devastating Attacks Intensify on Both Sides
As diplomats attempt to find common ground, military actions have escalated dramatically. A major Ukrainian offensive struck the Beriev aircraft manufacturing plant in Taganrog, causing extensive damage and triggering what witnesses described as 'a glow like after a nuclear explosion'. Initial reports indicate that an experimental bulb-nosed A-60 aircraft, designed to carry laser weapons, was set ablaze during the attack.
Russian officials confirmed that three people were killed and at least sixteen injured during strikes on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that 249 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight, including 116 over the Black Sea and 92 over southern regions.
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched new attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, killing at least six people including an 86-year-old woman pensioner. Residents were heard screaming for help after a Shahed drone strike ignited an inferno in a tower block. Two power plants supplying piped hot water heating to homes were also destroyed, plunging parts of the city into darkness and disrupting transport systems.
International Dimensions and Security Concerns
The conflict's international dimensions became increasingly apparent as Russian drones attacking Ukraine's Odesa region flew over Romanian airspace, prompting NATO to scramble four war planes in response. The Romanian air force confirmed the airspace violation and warned that it maintains the legal right to shoot down Russian drones in its territory.
President Trump hinted at potential progress in a Truth Social post on Monday, stating: 'Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don't believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening.'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged 'important steps' following the Geneva summit but emphasised that more work is needed to achieve genuine peace. 'In the steps we have coordinated with the side of the US, we've managed to keep extremely sensitive points,' Zelensky told a virtual conference in Sweden, adding that 'to achieve real peace, more is needed'.
The controversial US peace plan has faced significant pushback from European allies. Britain, France and Germany submitted a modified version that pushes back on proposed limits to Ukraine's armed forces and territorial concessions. The European counter-proposal suggests that Ukraine's military be capped at 800,000 'in peacetime' rather than a blanket cap of 600,000, and insists that negotiations on territorial swaps should start from the current Line of Contact rather than pre-determining certain areas as Russian territory.
As the Abu Dhabi talks continue behind closed doors, the devastating attacks on both sides underscore the urgent need for diplomatic breakthrough, while simultaneously demonstrating how far apart the warring parties remain on fundamental issues of territory, security guarantees, and military capabilities.
