A Russian drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed an elderly woman on Saturday, hitting a residential building, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The attack comes ahead of US-brokered talks scheduled next week aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.

The strike marks the latest in a series of cross-border attacks. On Friday, a Ukrainian missile strike in the Russian border city of Belgorod killed two people and injured five, highlighting the continued escalation along both sides of the front line.

The upcoming negotiations, set for Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, were confirmed by both Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn. The talks aim to address the war as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches.

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Fighting continues unabated along the approximately 1,250-kilometre front line, with Russia targeting civilian areas and Ukraine conducting long-range drone strikes on Russian military and logistical assets. Both sides have yet to find common ground on critical issues, including control over Ukraine’s Donbas industrial region.

Previous US-led peace efforts, including two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi, failed to produce an agreement, and Zelenskyy has noted that Washington has given a tentative June deadline for a potential deal. Analysts warn that these deadlines have historically passed without concrete results, underscoring the challenges ahead for negotiators.

The Odesa drone strike underscores the fragility of the situation, as civilians remain at risk amid escalating attacks on urban areas, even as diplomatic efforts attempt to find a path toward conflict resolution.

Also Read: #JUSTIN: Authorities Confirm 3 Killed in Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine Amid Looming Peace Talks