Russia has doubled the number of drone strikes on Ukraine since the start of 'peace negotiations'.

The number of Russian drone strikes on Ukraine has increased by over 50% since the start of peace negotiations led by the US in mid-February. This is reported by 'Glavkom' citing The Telegraph.

In the 30 days following February 18, when peace negotiations began, Russia carried out about 4776 drone strikes compared to 3148 strikes in the 30 days prior. The publication emphasizes that Moscow has intensified attacks in order to compel Kyiv to make concessions and seize as much land as possible. This is connected to Donald Trump's promise to quickly end the hostilities.

'Russia is seeking to amplify the pain it inflicts on Ukraine in order to increase the likelihood that Kyiv will make painful concessions and to demonstrate that Russia can continue fighting indefinitely,' said Daniel Byman, director of the Program on Extremism at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The first meeting of US and Russian officials to discuss the conflict took place on February 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After the meeting, Trump stated: 'I believe I have the power to end this war.' But since then, the Kremlin has been evasive and has made unrealistic demands, including the annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea.

Despite Ukraine and Russia agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire mediated by the US, there are no signs that the strikes are slowing down. According to reports, prior to the meeting in Riyadh, Ukraine had an average of 101 drones per day, and after that, their number increased to 154 per day, representing a 52.5% increase.

Analysis

The US-led peace negotiations have not led to a cessation of hostilities from Russia. On the contrary, the number of drone strikes has increased by over 50% since the negotiations began. This indicates that Russia is attempting to increase pressure on Ukraine and highlight that the conflict could continue for a long Time. If Russia's demands are not met, it will continue shelling and attacks. Ukraine and the US must take decisive steps to end the war and establish peace.