Russia intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to a statement by the Russian Defence Ministry on Monday. The announcement came just hours before delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were scheduled to begin a second round of direct peace talks in Turkey.

"Air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 162 Ukrainian drones" between 1710 GMT and 2300 GMT on Sunday, the ministry said.

Most of the drones were reportedly downed in regions bordering Ukraine, with 57 intercepted over the Kursk region and 31 over Belgorod, the ministry added.

The drone barrage came ahead of the anticipated talks in Istanbul, marking the second round of direct negotiations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The incident also followed one of Ukraine’s most daring strikes on Russian territory to date. On Sunday, Kyiv claimed to have targeted and damaged multiple strategic bombers at airbases located deep inside Russia, far from the frontlines.