Ukraine’s Largest Drone Attack on Moscow Kills 3; Kyiv, US Open Talks For Ending War

<p>Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone attack on Moscow and its surrounding region on Tuesday, killing at least three employees of a meat warehouse and injuring 17 others, Russian officials said, as reported by news agency Reuters. The assault also led to a brief shutdown of the Russian capital&rsquo;s four airports. According to Russia&rsquo;s defence ministry, a total of 343 drones were intercepted across the country, including 91 over the Moscow region and 126 over the western region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have been retreating.</p> <p>Some drones were also downed near the Kursk nuclear power plant. According to news agency AP, the drone attack left 18 injured, including including three children.</p> <p>Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the strike as the biggest Ukrainian drone attack on the city, which, along with its surrounding region, has a population exceeding 21 million, Reuters reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that preventive measures had allowed Russian defences to mitigate the attack, which he claimed had struck residential buildings. &nbsp;</p> <p>The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure, while Ukraine&rsquo;s General Staff confirmed to Reuters that it had struck oil facilities in Moscow and Oryol regions in an overnight drone strike. &nbsp;</p> <p>Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both nations have increasingly relied on drones to target cities, military assets, oil refineries, and airfields. Russia has developed an extensive air defence system over Moscow and key locations, utilising electronic countermeasures and layered protections around strategic sites. &nbsp;</p> <p>Putin has condemned Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure, including nuclear power plants, labelling them as "terrorism" and vowing retaliation, Reuters reported. &nbsp;</p> <h3>US-Ukraine Talks On Ending War Begin In Saudi Arabia &nbsp;</h3> <p>As tensions escalated, senior US and Ukrainian officials convened in Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss ways to end the three-year-long war, news agency AP reported. The meeting took place just hours after Russia reported downing over 300 Ukrainian drones. &nbsp;</p> <p>The talks follow a decision by former US President Donald Trump to pause American military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, aimed at pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into negotiations with Russia. Trump&rsquo;s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow later this week and may meet Putin, according to an unnamed source cited by AP. &nbsp;</p> <p>Ukrainian officials, including the country&rsquo;s foreign minister and defence chief, remained expressionless as the meeting began in a luxury hotel, as per AP's report. However, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak told reporters that the key focus was "how to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," adding that security guarantees were necessary to prevent future Russian aggression. &nbsp;</p> <p>Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s foreign minister was present at the meeting, where American, Saudi, and Ukrainian flags were displayed in the background.&nbsp;</p> <p>The morning session lasted three hours, with discussions continuing into the afternoon. There was no immediate response from Ukrainian or US officials regarding the drone attack. &nbsp;</p> <p>The Jeddah talks also provided Kyiv with an opportunity to mend ties with the Trump administration after tensions flared during Zelenskyy&rsquo;s 28 February visit to the White House. &nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Ukraine Plans To Propose Ceasefire Covering Black Sea, Stop Long-Range Missile Strikes: Report</strong></h3> <p>Ukraine is pushing for Washington to lift the suspension on military aid and intelligence-sharing, with US officials suggesting that productive discussions could lead to a quick reversal of the pause. Ukrainian officials told AP that they planned to propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea to facilitate safer shipping, as well as an agreement on halting long-range missile strikes that have affected civilians. Additionally, Kyiv is prepared to sign a deal granting the US access to Ukraine&rsquo;s rare earth minerals, a resource Trump has expressed interest in securing. &nbsp;</p> <p>US Senator Marco Rubio, en route to Jeddah, clarified that the American delegation was not bringing specific proposals but was instead aiming to assess Ukraine&rsquo;s stance. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do,&rdquo; Rubio told reporters, as quoted by the report. &ldquo;I think we want to listen to see how far they&rsquo;re willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p> <p>While Rubio noted that the rare earths and critical minerals deal could be signed during the talks, he stressed that it was not a prerequisite for further US engagement with Ukraine or Russia. He added that further negotiations might be required to finalise the agreement&rsquo;s details, AP reported.</p>

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