Rubio condoles deaths as Ukraine blows up Russian bridges, discuss forthcoming Istanbul talks with Sergei Lavrov

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday discussed the prospects for ways to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict ahead of second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. This comes as Ukraine and Russia sharply ramped up the war with one of the biggest drone battles of their conflict.

"The situation linked to the Ukraine crisis was discussed," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"S.V. Lavrov and M. Rubio also exchanged views on various initiatives concerning a settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including plans to resume direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul on June 2."

Meanwhile, the US State Department said Rubio reiterated President Donald Trump’s call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve "a lasting peace."

It also said that during the conversation Rubio expressed condolences over deaths that occurred when two bridges were blown up in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine.

"It was stressed on the Russian side that competent bodies will proceed with a thorough investigation and the results will be published. The guilty parties will be identified and will without doubt be subject to a worthy punishment."

Zelenskiy says ‘absolutely brilliant outcome’

At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when a highway bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, neighbouring Ukraine, was blown up over a passenger train heading to Moscow with 388 people on board. No one has claimed responsibility.

Ukraine attacked Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at a military base deep in Siberia on Sunday, a Ukrainian intelligence official said, the first such attack so far from the front lines more than 4,300 km (2,670 miles) away.

Ukraine's domestic intelligence service, the SBU, acknowledged it carried out the attack, codenamed "Operation Spider's Web," planned for more than a year and a half.

The intelligence official said the operation involved hiding explosive-laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds and loading them onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases.

A total of 41 Russian warplanes were hit, the official said. The SBU estimated the damage at $7 billion and said Russia had lost 34% of its strategic cruise missile carriers at its main airfields.

Zelenskiy expressed delight at the "absolutely brilliant outcome," and noted 117 drones had been used in the attack.

(With inputs from Reuters)