Russia and Ukraine continued exchanging fire along the front lines on Tuesday, even after modest but concrete progress was made in renewed peace talks in Istanbul.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported Tuesday that in the past 24 hours, Russian forces repelled multiple Ukrainian attacks and launched several offensives in directions including Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia. The Russian military has taken control of a settlement in the Sumy region.
Additionally, Russian air defense units intercepted and shot down two Ukrainian HIMARS rockets and 199 fixed-wing drones. Russian forces struck a Ukrainian electronics manufacturing plant, as well as a facility producing attack drones and associated warehouses, the ministry said.
Air raid sirens were sounded in Ukraine's capital Kiev on Tuesday.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that, as of 08:00 local time Tuesday, over 100 combat engagements took place along the frontlines in the past 24 hours.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian forces successfully repelled dozens of Russian attacks. Ukrainian air forces, missile units, and artillery targeted multiple Russian military equipment concentration areas, command posts, and artillery systems.
The Ukrainian Air Force also reported that by 09:00 local time Tuesday, Ukrainian forces had destroyed 75 incoming drones.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on Tuesday that it had carried out a special operation involving an underwater attack on the Crimean Bridge -- the third such strike on the structure since the conflict began.
According to the SBU, Ukrainian operatives prepared for the demolition of the bridge's pillars over a period of several months. The first explosive device was successfully detonated at 04:44 local time, reportedly without causing any civilian casualties.
The statement said the underwater support structures of the bridge were severely damaged at their base, with the explosion involving the equivalent of 1,100 kilograms of explosives. The operation was overseen by Vasyl Malyuk, head of the SBU.
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation announced Tuesday that it has detained an agent of Ukrainian special services in Crimea for manufacturing an improvised explosive device (IED) intended for sabotage and terrorist acts on the peninsula.
According to Russian media reports, the Crimean Bridge was temporarily closed to traffic twice on Tuesday. The first closure occurred after Russian forces shot down an incoming Ukrainian drone, with the drone's debris falling onto the bridge's roadway. The reason for the second closure has not been disclosed.
The bridge has since resumed normal traffic operations. Ukraine had previously carried out attacks on the Crimean Bridge in 2022 and in 2023.
On Monday, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for a second round of direct talks.
Russia's TASS news agency on Tuesday published the full text of a memorandum submitted by Russia to Ukraine during the talks. The document outlines the conditions for a final resolution to the Ukraine crisis, a proposal for a 30-day comprehensive ceasefire, as well as the steps and timeline for signing a peace treaty.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kiev's delegation, confirmed the news, stating that Ukraine would take one week to review the document and coordinate further actions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that "it would be wrong to expect any immediate decisions or breakthroughs" in reaching a peace deal with Ukraine, when commenting on the latest bilateral talks.
Peskov stated that certain important agreements were reached on Monday in Istanbul and that Moscow will await Kiev's response to the peace memorandum that Russian officials handed to the Ukrainian side.
The spokesman also said that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to take place anytime soon, and that such a meeting should only happen after agreements have been reached and worked out at the technical level.
Russia launches multiple attacks, while Ukraine hits Crimean Bridge
