Amid Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, Putin claims Russia is not against peace talks

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (July 29) said that an initiative by African countries could be a basis for peace with Ukraine but the attacks by Ukrainian forces made it hard to realise, hours before a Ukrainian drone attack took place on Moscow.

Putin was addressing a press conference after holding a meeting with African leaders in St Petersburg and listening to their calls for Moscow to take steps and go ahead with their plan. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented. But there are things that are difficult or impossible to implement,” he said.

Putin stated that the ceasefire was one of the points in the African initiative. "But the Ukrainian army is on the offensive, they are attacking, they are implementing a large-scale strategic offensive operation... We cannot cease fire when we are under attack,” he said.

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Answering the question of initiating peace talks, Putin said, "We did not reject them... In order for this process to begin, there needs to be agreement on both sides."

Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow

Two office blocks were damaged and one person was injured in a night-time Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, said the mayor of the Russian capital early on Sunday (July 30), adding that no one suffered injuries. "Ukrainian drones attacked tonight. The facades of two city office towers were slightly damaged. There are no victims or injured," posted Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Telegram.

"The glazing was shattered as a result of the blast at the level of fifth and sixth floors of the 50-story building on Presnenskaya embankment," an official said, as reported by TASS.

Russia's defence ministry, confirming that three Ukrainian drones were downed by them,said on Telegram, "The Kyiv regime's attempted terrorist attack with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow was thwarted,"adding that one was shot down and two, "suppressed by electronic warfare", crashed into a building complex.

Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport was shut down to traffic on Sunday, a Russian state news agency report said. "The capital's Vnukovo airport is closed for departures and arrivals, flights are redirected to other airports. This was reported by the aviation services,” TASS reported.

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Meanwhile, on the Ukrainian side, one civilian was killed in a Russian missile attack on Saturday (July 29) in the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy, informed the national police, further stating that five people were injured in the strike on an education centre.

"On the evening of July 29, an enemy missile hit an educational institution. Law enforcement officers are working at the scene, recording the effects," the force shared on Telegram, confirming the initial toll as "at least one civilian dead and five injured". "Police, rescue workers and medics are on the scene", it stated.

Saudi invites developing nations for Ukraine peace talks

The leading developing nations have been invited by Saudi Arabia to hold the meeting in a bid to win their backing for Ukraine peace talks. Senior government officials from China, Brazil, South Africa and India have been invited for talks in Jeddah which will be held for two days.

The meeting will aim at persuading countries from South America, Africa and south-east Asia to support the Ukrainian peace planwhich calls for an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war by letting Kyiv reclaimits territory occupied by Russian troops.

(With inputs from agencies)

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