Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine killed at least 15 people and injured dozens over 24 hours, ending Saturday. The strikes targeted multiple regions, including Kharkiv in the northeast where four people died, and 11 were wounded in attacks on the city and surrounding towns and villages; Nikopol in the southeast, where a drone hit a covered market, killing five and injuring 25; and Donetsk in the east, where six people were killed, and 10 others were hurt. In the Sumy region, a Russian drone struck a building overnight, injuring 11 people, including a child.

Ukraine's air force reported launching 286 drones toward northern, southern, eastern, and central areas, downing or neutralizing 260 of them, with 11 striking 10 locations and debris falling at six sites. The assaults occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Istanbul for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.

The leaders discussed efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine, now in its fifth year, along with security issues such as Black Sea maritime safety and energy supply security. Erdogan stated that Turkey would continue supporting negotiations between Ukraine and Russia and emphasized the importance of maritime safety in the Black Sea and secure energy supplies. Zelenskyy announced new steps in security cooperation, highlighting Ukraine's expertise, technology, and experience, particularly in counter-drone capabilities gained from defending against Iranian-designed drones used by Russia.

"It is important that joint and coordinated actions strengthen the protection of life and help deliver greater security to people in every part of the world," Zelenskyy said. "We agreed on new steps in security cooperation. This primarily concerns areas where we can support Türkiye – expertise, technology, and experience."

The meeting also covered joint defense industry projects, gas infrastructure development, joint gas field projects, the Middle East situation, bilateral trade obstacles, and contacts with the American team. Turkey expressed readiness to host the next round of talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia. Zelenskyy plans to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew afterward.

The talks come amid stalled diplomatic efforts. The United States, Russia, and Ukraine held three rounds of high-level trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi and Geneva earlier this year, but made no progress on territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine, with a fourth round postponed due to the US-Israel war on Iran. Turkey, a NATO member with ties to both sides, previously hosted initial peace talks early in the 2022 invasion.

In related actions, Ukraine conducted drone and missile strikes on Russia's southern Rostov region, including the port city of Taganrog, killing one person and injuring four, three Russians and one foreign national. A missile hit a commercial facility, sparking a fire, and drone debris damaged a foreign-flagged cargo vessel in the Sea of Azov. Recent Black Sea incidents, such as a marine drone strike on a Russian crude oil tanker near the Bosphorus, have heightened tensions.