The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
June 2, 2025

Russia and Ukraine Hold Talks in Istanbul as Ukraine War Intensifies
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Russian and Ukrainian peace talks are taking place in Istanbul a day
after Ukraine launched 117 drones in an unprecedented attack hitting
Russian military bases as far away as Siberia. The attack reportedly
damaged or destroyed about 40 Russian warplanes - about a third of
Russia's strategic missile bombers that are capable of carrying cruise
and nuclear missiles. The strikes reportedly resulted in an estimated $7
billion in damage. Some commentators in Moscow have described the attack
as Russia's Pearl Harbor. The Ukrainian drones had been reportedly
smuggled into Russia hidden inside containers on long-haul trucks. The
attack came a day after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on
Ukraine since the start of the war. On Sunday, Russia also struck a
Ukrainian military training base, killing at least 12 soldiers and
injuring 60 others.


.