Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet in Istanbul to exchange their plans for how to end the three-year war, Europe’s largest conflict since World War

A day before the scheduled peace talks, Ukrainian forces launched one of their most daring and successful attacks on Russian soil, striking dozens of strategic bombers at airbases located thousands of kilometres behind the front lines.

With 41 military aircraft impacted, the Ukrainian drone attack was described by some commentators as Russia's "Pearl Harbor." The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was a surprise air raid by Japan on the U.S. during World War II. Kyiv's assault follows ground advances by Moscow troops in recent days in Ukraine's Sumy border region.

While world leaders bicker over the prospects for peace, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two is heating up fast.

With diplomatic efforts to reach a cease-fire appearing remote, and President Trump apparently abandoning the process, Russia has been escalating its assaults on Ukrainian cities and on the battlefield.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed on Sunday prospects for settling the conflict in Ukraine and Russia-Ukraine talks set for Monday in Turkey, Lavrov's ministry said.

The attack followed a night of bombardment, with Russia launching 472 drones, Ukraine’s air force said. Earlier Sunday, Ukraine’s army said a Russian missile strike on an army training unit killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured 60.

Kyiv also suffered a damaging blow when a Russian missile struck a Ukrainian military training base, killing at least 12 soldiers. Hours before that strike, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials said was the largest combined overnight aerial assault on the country since the start of the war.

"The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, presented a report on today's operation. An absolutely brilliant result," commented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on social media.