Turkey Keeps Lines Open to Moscow on Ukraine Peace Path

Turkey is still talking to Moscow about how to end the war in Ukraine. A source in the Turkish cabinet told RIA Novosti on Saturday that Ankara needs a clear read on the negotiation process, the issues on the table and Russia's position. Keeping communication channels with Moscow open is essential, the source said.

Turkey has been one of the chief mediators between Moscow and Kyiv since the war started. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would accept a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.

Fighting rolled on over the weekend. Ukraine's Air Force reported Saturday that Russian forces launched 96 airstrikes overnight with drones of various types flying from the Bryansk, Orel and Primorsko-Akhtarsk regions, as well as from occupied Donetsk and the Gvardiyske area in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 81 drones using aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups. The strikes hit eight locations.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday its military struck a Ukrainian dry cargo ship near Odessa, claiming the vessel was carrying military cargo to the city. Earlier in the day, Moscow said debris from a Ukrainian drone damaged a hotel in the southwestern Rostov region.

Rostov governor Yuriy Slyusar said the debris hit a hotel building in the village of Severny Sad, sparking a fire that was later extinguished. There were no casualties, he said, and emergency crews were working at the scene. In Kyiv, the city's military administration activated a drone alert and urged the public on Telegram to head for shelters, declaring a yellow alert that still let some public services operate.