Tokayev Urges Putin to Freeze 4.5-Year Ukraine War as 300 Drones Hit Russia

3 articles · Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jul 25

Omsk talks put rare public pressure on Putin after Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told him the Ukraine war must be "frozen" and steered back toward Istanbul-style negotiations.
More than 300 Ukrainian drones hit Russia on Saturday, Moscow said, setting a Siberian oil refinery ablaze and disrupting an athletics event in Yekaterinburg.
The strikes came with mounting civilian losses: Russian-installed officials said a hit on occupied Kyrylivka killed 12 people, while Kyiv said Russian attacks killed five in Ukraine and left two crew missing from a corn ship off Odesa.
Tokayev, a Moscow ally who has not endorsed the invasion, said "young people are dying" and the war's roots were "not understandable"; Putin replied only that he would brief him on the conflict.
The exchange underscored stalled US-led peace efforts as Ukraine expands long-range attacks to strain Russia's war machine and Moscow presses on with plans to seize more of eastern Ukraine.