Another attempt at a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ended with tragic consequences. The third round of negotiations in Istanbul, which lasted barely an hour, was followed by mutual air strikes in which a total of five people were killed.
The Ukrainian city of Kharkiv suffered heavy damage, with three people found dead under the rubble of a building. Additional injuries were reported in the cities of Cherkasy and Zaporizhzhia. Particularly sensitive was the damage to the famous Odessa market "Privoz" - a UNESCO World Heritage site that was partially destroyed during the night attack.
On the Russian side, two human casualties and 11 injured were reported in a drone strike over the resort city of Sochi in the Krasnodar region. An additional air strike over Kharkiv caused injuries to 33 people on Thursday morning.
The negotiations, led by delegations from both sides, showed minimal signs of progress. The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, announced an agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war and a proposal to hand over the bodies of 3,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
The Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov remained skeptical about the possibility of ending the conflict, stating that no breakthrough could be expected in the short term.
A key moment in the negotiations was the Ukrainian side's desire for a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky by the end of August. However, Peskov categorically rejected this idea as premature.
President Zelensky maintained a diplomatic tone, stating: "We will do everything possible to make diplomacy work, but it is Russia that must end the war it started."
The negotiations are taking place against a backdrop of continuing tension and a lack of significant concessions from either side. The first two rounds were initiated at the insistence of former US President Donald Trump, who set a 50-day deadline for ending military operations.
Russia continues to insist on its initial conditions - a neutral status for Ukraine, a drastic reduction of its armed forces, and a rejection of potential NATO membership. These conditions, however, remain unacceptable to Kyiv and its Western allies.
The international community continues to follow the development of negotiations with tension, and the hope for a peaceful resolution of the conflict remains extremely fragile.