Drone strikes kill two in Ukraine and Russia ahead of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Geneva
The Hindu
Drone strikes kill two ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva, escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
Drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and another in Russia, officials said on Saturday (February 14, 2026), ahead of fresh talks next week aimed at ending the war.
An elderly woman died when a Russian drone hit a residential building in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
In Russia, a civilian was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a car in the border region of Bryansk, regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.
The attacks came a day after a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod killed two people and wounded five, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Meanwhile, another round of U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine will take place next week in Geneva, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbour, officials in Moscow and Kyiv said on Friday.
The discussions will be held on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) and Wednesday (February 18, 2026), Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
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