Zelenskyy did not provide further details regarding the nature of the talks or the identities of the negotiators involved.
The intensity of the Russian-Ukrainian war is escalating as Moscow intensifies its air and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, coinciding with the expansion of Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russian territory targeting energy and oil facilities. The escalation comes at a time when diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled, despite US moves to push for the resumption of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukraine has witnessed a wave of Russian attacks in recent days, the latest of which was an attack on October 7 that killed at least 25 people and injured about 100 others, according to a toll reported by the Associated Press. The deadliest attack was in the town of Pryluky in the north of the country, where a strike hit a residential building, resulting in deaths including children.
In the latest field development on Thursday, at least 30 people were killed and 18 others injured in a Russian strike that targeted a public bus in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians this year, according to media reports. This came after the Pryluky attack that left dozens dead.
Kyiv warns that Russia is preparing for a new, broad wave of attacks, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on October 6 that Ukrainian intelligence services had detected signs of Moscow preparing for a "massive" attack, calling on allies, particularly the United States and European countries, to provide more air defense systems and ammunition.
In return, Ukraine has intensified its long-range strikes inside Russia, specifically targeting oil and energy facilities. Recent attacks have included fuel storage facilities and oil refineries, in an attempt to pressure Moscow's economic and military capacity. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on refineries have caused damage to the Russian economy, estimating their impact at about 1% of GDP.
The escalation has extended to new sectors, as a data center belonging to the Russian company "Yandex" was hit by a drone attack on Thursday, leading to the suspension of its operations and a fire at the facility. Reuters stated that the attack represents the first confirmed major strike targeting a Russian data center since the start of the war, at a time when mutual attacks have expanded to include energy facilities, refineries, ports, ships, and digital infrastructure.
The Black Sea region has also seen increasing escalation, with facilities and ships coming under attack, while Moscow announced it had struck Ukrainian ships and logistics facilities in the region. In Kyiv, bridges over the Dnieper River were hit by Russian strikes, disrupting traffic, in an indication of the widening scope of infrastructure targeting.
