Officials from both sides confirmed that Ukraine and Russia carried out drone attacks against each other on Thursday morning, just hours after the conclusion of the most recent round of direct negotiations aimed at finding an end to the war, which has lasted nearly three years and a half.

Ukrainian drones have struck southern Russian Black Sea regions, killing one, injuring another, and striking an oil storage depot.

The latest of a series mass attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine's Black Sea Port of Odesa triggered several fires, including in residential buildings and other structures.

Emergency officials in Russia’s Krasnodar Region on the Black Sea told Telegram that debris from a drone falling on a woman killed her in Adler District near the resort town of Sochi.

Another woman was treated at the hospital for serious injuries.

The head of Sirius federal district south of Sochi said that a drone had hit an oil field, but did not provide any further details.

The Russian Rosaviatsia Aviation authority reported that operations at Sochi Airport were suspended for approximately four hours.

Oleh Kiper, regional governor of Odesa said that two floors in a multi-storey building were set on fire. Fires also broke out in a two-storey home's roof, at kiosks, and at a petrol pump.

He said that the city's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was also affected.

Kiper stated that details about casualties are being compiled.

It is impossible to independently verify the accounts of either side.

The two sides discussed prisoner exchanges during a short session of peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the sides were far apart over the terms of a ceasefire and the possibility of a meeting between their leaders.

Ukraine's military has launched drone attacks against Russian targets, often far away from the front lines of war.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have intensified their drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and towns. (Reporting and Editing by Christopher Cushing).

(source: Reuters)