Following Sunday's major assault on Russian airfields that destroyed 40 aircraft, Ukrainian forces are continuing to ramp up their counter-offensive against Moscow's forces.
According to Russian Telegram channels, the latest wave of drones targeted multiple cities and industrial facilities overnight on 2 June, triggering explosions and air raid sirens in at least six regions: Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Ryazan, Ivanovo, and Volgograd.
The highest number were reportedly downed over Kursk Oblast, followed by Belgorod. Two additional drones were shot down over Russian-occupied Crimea, Russia's Defence Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Russia launched 472 drones and seven missiles into Ukraine on Sunday, the largest drone attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukraine's air force.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine's military also reported that a missile strike on an army training unit killed at least 12 service personnel and injured more than 60.
The ramped-up exchanges of fire came ahead of another round of direct peace talks between the two sides in Istanbul on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine will participate in the meeting, with the delegation being led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
"I outlined (Ukraine's) positions ahead of the meeting in Istanbul on Monday," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Sunday following a briefing with top officials.
He also listed listed Ukraine's key demands for the talks; a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all prisoners and the return of abducted children.
