Geneva Peace Talks Resume Amid Heavy Drone Strikes (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia said Tuesday that its air defenses shot down more than 150 Ukrainian drones overnight, as delegations from Kyiv and Moscow gathered in Geneva for U.S.-backed peace talks aimed at ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

“Overnight, air defense forces destroyed 151 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, as well as over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by state media. The claims could not be independently verified.

In Russian-annexed Crimea, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said about two dozen drones were shot down during what he described as “one of the longest attacks in recent times.”

“Unfortunately, there were injuries. According to preliminary information, one child was wounded,” he wrote on Telegram.

HEAVY STRIKES AMID DIPLOMATIC TALKS

The reported Ukrainian drone wave came as Russia launched fresh strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.

According to Ukrainian officials cited by Reuters and other international media, Russian forces fired missiles and launched drones targeting energy facilities in multiple regions, leaving tens of thousands temporarily without electricity and heat.

Ukrainian authorities said three energy workers were killed near the front-line Sloviansk power plant.

Additionally, Ukrainian air defenses reported intercepting many incoming drones and missiles, though damage was confirmed in several regions.

THIRD ROUND OF GENEVA NEGOTIATIONS

The attacks unfolded as the two sides began another round of diplomatic negotiations in Geneva, backed by the United States, after two previous rounds of talks mediated by Washington yielded no major breakthroughs.

Apparently, the Russian delegation had difficulty reaching the talks. Flight-tracking data monitored by Worthy News showed the delegation’s aircraft took about nine hours to travel from Moscow to Geneva — far longer than a typical direct flight of roughly four hours — routing southward over Turkish airspace before entering Italy en route to Switzerland.

The extended journey underscores the logistical challenges posed by sanctions and airspace restrictions. Russian state media reported that the flight avoided what Moscow calls “unfriendly” countries and that EU member Italy granted overflight permission, despite broader European Union airspace restrictions imposed on Russian aircraft since 2022.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned against high expectations, saying the talks would address a “broader range of issues,” including territorial matters and other demands put forward by Moscow.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, described the discussions as “big talks” and urged Ukraine to “come to the table fast.” Diplomats indicated talks would continue into Wednesday, though analysts say positions remain far apart.

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES MOUNT

While Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, Kyiv has recently made localized battlefield gains.

An AFP analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War indicated Ukrainian forces recaptured about 201 square kilometers (78 square miles) between Wednesday and Sunday last week, even as casualties continued on both sides.

Beyond the military toll, the war continues to devastate civilian families. Earlier this month, a Russian drone strike in Bohodukhiv in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region killed a father and his three young sons — ages 7, 4, and 7 months — The Associated Press reported. The children’s pregnant mother survived with injuries.

International monitors have warned that civilian casualties from missile and drone attacks remain a persistent feature of the nearly four-year conflict.

REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS AND ENERGY CONCERNS

The war’s effects extend beyond the battlefield. Disruptions to the Druzhba (“Friendship”) oil pipeline — a key route carrying Russian crude to Central Europe — have fueled tensions between Ukraine and neighboring European Union members Hungary and Slovakia.

Hungary and Slovakia have accused Ukraine of being responsible for interruptions in oil deliveries via the pipeline, but Kyiv has blamed Russian military attacks for the disruptions.

Both countries remain heavily dependent on Russian energy, despite European Union pressure to diversify supplies.

European Union officials have said there is no immediate supply crisis, but the situation highlights how the war continues to reverberate across regional energy security and geopolitics.

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK REMAINS

As talks resume in Switzerland, both sides accuse each other of escalating hostilities even as diplomacy continues.

With drone warfare intensifying and energy infrastructure repeatedly targeted, prospects for a swift resolution remain uncertain.

For now, fighting continues alongside negotiations, underscoring the difficulty of ending a war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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