Ukraine LIVE: Sabotage Attack Hits Russia Before Peace Talks
A suspected sabotage attack on Russian infrastructure has cast a shadow over the renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin declines to attend the high-stakes summit in Istanbul.
Tensions escalated overnight after a Ukrainian resistance group claimed responsibility for sabotaging a key railway relay cabinet near Smolensk—an area critical to Russia’s military logistics. The partisan group, known as Atesh, shared video evidence of the attack, which reportedly disrupted a major supply route for arms and equipment headed toward the northeastern Ukrainian front. Kyiv has since warned that Russia may be preparing a fresh offensive targeting the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
Putin and Trump Absent from Peace Talks
Just as the strike reverberated through Russian channels, diplomatic hopes took a hit: neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor former U.S. President Donald Trump will attend today’s long-awaited peace summit in Istanbul. The absence of these high-profile figures has drawn sharp criticism from Western leaders and raised concerns about the credibility of the ceasefire talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, currently in Ankara, has urged for a face-to-face meeting with Putin and called for a 30-day ceasefire. However, the Kremlin has rejected this proposal, instead sending a delegation led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky—a move that many see as symbolic rather than substantive.
NATO and Global Diplomacy in Parallel Meetings
In a parallel effort to strengthen support for Ukraine, NATO foreign ministers, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are meeting in Antalya to strategize defense policies and discuss long-term military assistance for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Russia’s delegation touched down in Istanbul earlier today without Putin, further solidifying perceptions that Moscow is not fully committed to a negotiated resolution. The Kremlin’s choice of Medinsky—rather than a senior cabinet official or the president himself—has fueled skepticism about the seriousness of Russia’s intentions.
Analysts Say Putin “Never Took Talks Seriously”
Former British Army officer and ex-Tory MP Tobias Ellwood criticized Putin’s absence, stating it is proof that the Kremlin has little interest in genuine diplomacy. Now a Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Ellwood likened the decision to “a general sending their aide-de-camp to a battlefield meeting.”
“Putin’s long-term objective of occupying all of Ukraine hasn’t changed since the beginning of the war,” Ellwood told Express.co.uk, dismissing the Istanbul summit as a potential smokescreen.
As the world watches events unfold in Turkey, questions continue to mount about whether meaningful progress can be made without the direct involvement of the key decision-makers—and with acts of sabotage reigniting tensions on the ground.
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