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(LONDON) — Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams will again meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed, for the first such meeting since President Donald Trump set a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire to be reached.

In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Rustem Umerov — the former defense minister who is now heading Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council — on Monday, to discuss upcoming prisoner swaps and the next round of talks with Moscow.

“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday,” the president said. “More details will follow tomorrow.”

Russia’s state TASS news agency, meanwhile, quoted a source in Turkey who also said the talks would be held on Wednesday. The state-owned RIA news agency — also quoting a source — said the negotiations would stretch over Thursday and Friday.

This week’s meeting will be the third recent round of talks between the two combatants, previous meetings having been held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Before that, the two sides had not met directly since the opening weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

The May and June talks led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but any breakthrough on a ceasefire or eventual peace deal has proved elusive — despite continued pressure from the Trump administration.

The White House is pushing for an immediate ceasefire, a stance backed by Ukraine. But Russia has so far dodged committing to the proposal, with President Vladimir Putin saying various issues need to be addressed before the fighting can be paused.

Trump has appeared in recent months increasingly frustrated by Russia’s intransigence, plus by its nightly drone and missile strikes across Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, threatening fresh sanctions and tariffs if it failed to do so. Trump also announced new military support for Kyiv, with a particular focus on strengthening Ukraine’s anti-drone and anti-missile defenses.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s goals from the coming talks would be “the return of prisoners, the return of children who were abducted by Russia and the preparation of the leaders’ meeting,” the last referring to his repeated offers of an in-person meeting with Putin.

In a Tuesday social media post, Zelenskyy said Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Representatives from Ukrainian intelligence, its Foreign Ministry and the president’s office will also attend, he said.

“Our position is fully transparent,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine never wanted this war and it is Russia that must end the war that it started.”

On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump’s ultimatum — issued earlier this month — for Russia to agree to a ceasefire within 50 days or face more sanctions.

“Everyone is already used to his rather tough and straightforward rhetoric,” Peskov told journalists. “At the same time, he confirms his intentions to do everything possible to contribute to peaceful settlement.”

“In fact, President Putin has repeatedly spoken about his desire to transfer Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful route as soon as possible,” Peskov added. “This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. And, most likely, more and more people in Washington understand this.”

As to a possible meeting between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, “It is possible, and over time it will definitely happen. It is necessary.”

“Perhaps it will be necessary for the fixation of some major agreements, which will be achieved over time, after a huge amount of work has been done,” he continued. “But this time has not yet come. This work is yet to be done.”

“Russia is ready to move fast,” Peskov said. “The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear, obvious, they do not change. But the process depends not only on us.”

Expectations for this week’s talks are not high in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee.

“I don’t expect anything serious from these negotiations,” Merezhko told ABC News.

“In my opinion, Russia will be using these negotiations to prolong offensive operations during summer,” he added. “Putin has not given up his goal to subjugate the whole of Ukraine and is not interested in serious negotiations.”

“Putin will use these 50 days to the maximum,” Merezhko added.

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(LONDON) — Twenty-five countries have released a joint statement calling for the immediate end of the war in Gaza and accusing Israel of not allowing sufficient aid in, demanding it must do so to comply with international humanitarian law.

“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now,” the statement began. “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”

“The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” the statement further said.

Throughout the conflict, Israel has maintained they are sending enough aid into Gaza but international aid organizations have repeatedly said there is not enough aid, and the United Nations has reported conditions of malnutrition inside of Gaza.

The statement is signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.

The call to action was released Monday following an incident Sunday in which at least 81 Palestinians were killed and another 150 were injured while trying to gain access to food, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which said the majority of those killed were gathered near the Zikim border between Gaza and Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that its troops fired near crowds “in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them,” though it wasn’t specific. A review is ongoing, but “preliminary review indicates that the reported number of casualties does not align with existing information,” according to the IDF.

Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on X Monday that the country “rejects” the 25-nation joint statement “as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”

“All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” Marmorstein’s statement said.

The statement further said that while there is a “concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal,” Hamas “stubbornly refuses to accept it.”

“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation.” Marmorstein said. “Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides.”

“At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind,” the Marmorstein statement concluded.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the joint statement “disgusting” in a post on X. “25 nations put pressure on @Israel instead of savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational,” the post said.

At least 875 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food aid in recent weeks, according to the United Nations.

“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid,” the joint statement said. It also condemned Hamas for refusing to release the remaining Israeli hostages.

“The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement said. “A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement Monday that he is “appalled by the accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.”

The “last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing,” Guterres said in part, adding that he “condemns the ongoing violence, including the shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families.”

“Civilians must be protected and respected, and they must never be targeted. The population in Gaza remains gravely undersupplied with the basic necessities of life,” Guterres’ statement said.

The 25 signatory countries further called on the Israeli government to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively,” and for “all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law.”

“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the statement continued. “Further bloodshed serves no purpose.  We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.”

“We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,” the statement concluded.

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV also renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the pope said during Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, according to the Associated Press.

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(LONDON and BELGRADE, Serbia) — At least 20 people were killed and 171 were injured when a Bangladeshi air force training jet crashed near a school in the capital Dhaka on Monday, officials said.

The aircraft crashed on the grounds of the Milestone School and College, in the city’s northern Uttara neighborhood, close to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

“The rescue operation is still ongoing,” Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, the director of the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, told ABC News. “It will take some more time. All injured or dead have been taken to four different hospitals.”

The single-seater, Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff after experiencing a “mechanical failure,” Chowdhury said. The pilot — Flt. Lt. Md Towkir Islam — “made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas,” Chowdhury said. “Despite his best efforts, the aircraft tragically crashed.”

Islam died from his injuries as he was being taken to hospital, Chowdhury added.

“It was a training mission, part of regular training, not a bigger exercise,” Chowdhury said. He added that the ISPR does not know yet if the aircraft had any prior technical issues.

Chowdhury said the rescue operation at the impact site is ongoing. “There may still be people inside,” he said. “We are not yet sure if everyone is out of the building. The smoke and heat are very high.”

A senior teacher at the school told ABC News that around 4,000 students study at the center. “But when the incident happened, around 1,000 students were present in the campus,” the teacher said. The plane crashed next to the school’s cafeteria.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(LONDON and BELGRADE, Serbia) — At least 19 people were killed and 164 were injured when a Bangladeshi air force training jet crashed near a school in the capital Dhaka on Monday, officials said.

The aircraft crashed on the grounds of the Milestone School and College, in the city’s northern Uttara neighborhood, close to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

“The rescue operation is still ongoing,” Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury, the director of the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, told ABC News. “It will take some more time. All injured or dead have been taken to four different hospitals.”

The single-seater, Chinese-made F-7 BGI aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff after experiencing a “mechanical failure,” Chowdhury said. The pilot — Flt. Lt. Md Towkir Islam — “made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas,” Chowdhury said. “Despite his best efforts, the aircraft tragically crashed.”

Islam died from his injuries as he was being taken to hospital, Chowdhury added.

“It was a training mission, part of regular training, not a bigger exercise,” Chowdhury said. He added that the ISPR does not know yet if the aircraft had any prior technical issues.

Chowdhury said the rescue operation at the impact site is ongoing. “There may still be people inside,” he said. “We are not yet sure if everyone is out of the building. The smoke and heat are very high.”

A senior teacher at the school told ABC News that around 4,000 students study at the center. “But when the incident happened, around 1,000 students were present in the campus,” the teacher said. The plane crashed next to the school’s cafeteria.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(LONDON) — Russia’s Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed to have shot down at least 26 Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region, as both sides continued their long-range strike campaigns despite Kyiv suggesting a resumption of bilateral ceasefire talks this week.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said in posts to Telegram that 132 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight and into Sunday afternoon. The interceptions took place over at least nine Russian regions plus occupied Crimea and the Black Sea, according to the ministry.

The latest attack prompted restrictions at all four of Moscow’s international airports, according to Telegram posts by Artem Korenyako, a spokesperson for Russia’s federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya. Korenyako said that least 134 aircraft were diverted to alternate airports amid the disruption.

Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, wrote on Telegram, “The most effective story is the paralysis of Russia’s air traffic.”

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said early Sunday that at least 21 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the capital region since 6 p.m. local time on Saturday.

Among them was one drone downed in Zelenograd, around 20 miles northwest of central Moscow. Russian Telegram channels reported that the wreckage of the drone fell in a residential area and set fire to cars.

“Emergency services are working at the crash site in Zelenograd,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. “All necessary measures are being taken. According to preliminary information, there are no serious injuries or casualties.”

Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, reported 57 Russian drones launched into the country overnight. Twenty-five drones were downed or otherwise suppressed, the air force said, with 32 drones impacting in 10 locations and debris falling in six locations.

July has seen both sides expand long-range drone strikes amid stalled ceasefire talks and despite continued pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram on Saturday that Kyiv had proposed new talks to be held this week, as both sides continue work on a prisoner exchange agreement reached at previous rounds of talks held in Istanbul, Turkey.

Rustem Umerov, who last week was moved from his role as defense minister to serve as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, “reported that he has proposed another meeting with the Russian side for next week,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“The pace of negotiations must be increased,” the president said. “Everything must be done to achieve a ceasefire. And the Russian side must stop hiding from decisions.”

“Prisoner exchanges. Return of children. End to the killings. And a meeting at the level of leaders is needed to truly ensure peace — a really lasting one,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine is ready for such a meeting.”

Also on Sunday, Zelenskyy said in a post to X that he received a report from Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi on issues including “our long-range strikes, particularly the frequency and effectiveness of deep strikes.”

“Russian logistics must suffer significantly in response to Russia prolonging this war,” Zelenskyy wrote.

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(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday morning that Russia had attacked Ukraine overnight with more than 300 drones and over 30 missiles.

The strikes, which occurred Friday night into Saturday morning, affected the regions of Donetsk, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Sumy, Kherson, Volyn, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Zhytomyr.

At least one person was killed and six others, including a child, were injured in the southern port city of Odesa and the surrounding area, where an apartment building was damaged, according to Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, critical infrastructure was damaged in Sumy, leaving several thousand families without power. A residential building and critical infrastructure was also damaged in the eastern city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Zelenskyy.

“Target elimination is still ongoing — drones remain in the air,” Zelenskyy warned. “Rescue operations are underway following the attack.”

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(VENEZUELA) — The more than 200 Venezuelan migrants who were deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s mega-prison in March have left El Salvador to be sent to Venezuela as part of a prisoner swap that included Americans, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced on X.

The deal included the release of 10 Americans held in Venezuela, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the Americans had been released from Venezuela and were now “on their way to freedom.”

In the post on X, Bukele said: “Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua. As was offered to the Venezuelan regime back in April, we carried out this exchange in return for a considerable number of Venezuelan political prisoners, people that regime had kept in its prisons for years, as well as all the American citizens it was holding as hostages.”

It is not clear if the deportees have landed in Venezuela. Bukele’s post on X includes a video of what appears to be the deportees boarding a plane.

The migrants were sent to the prison, known as CECOT, as part of a $6 million deal the Trump administration made with Bukele to house migrant detainees as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(LONDON) —  An overnight fire at a shopping mall in Iraq has killed more than 60 people, according to the country’s interior ministry.

The massive fire broke out early Thursday in the new, five-story shopping center in Kut, the capital of the Wasit province in eastern Iraq.

Most of the 61 victims died from smoke inhalation in the building’s bathrooms, while 14 others were severely burned, according to the interior ministry. Forty-five people were rescued, it said.

Rescue teams worked for hours to recover bodies trapped inside the charred structure, battling dense smoke and debris.

Iraqi authorities have declared three days of national mourning as search and recovery operations continue.

The Wasit governor, Mohammed Mayahi, described the fire as a national disaster. Many of the victims are believed to be entire families caught in the fire, with Mayahi saying children were among those killed.

“The day is painful for all of Wasit,” he said.

An investigation committee has been formed to determine the cause of the fire, the interior ministry said. Investigators have been tasked with determining whether violations of fire codes or construction standards played a role.

The blaze erupted less than a week after the Corniche shopping mall opened.

Mayahi said legal complaints had been filed against the building owner, the mall operator and others involved in the case.

“There will be no leniency,” he said.

The Kut disaster follows a series of similar incidents in Iraq recent years. In 2023, more than 100 people died after a fire started by pyrotechnic devices swept through a wedding hall in Hamdaniyah. The incident drew national outrage, raising broader concerns about public venue safety and allegations of corruption in the approval of business licenses.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Dialogue heard on a cockpit voice recording indicates that the captain of the Air India flight that crashed in June, killing 260 people, may have turned off the fuel just after takeoff, prompting the first officer to panic, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited sources familiar with U.S. official’s early assessment.

A preliminary report released last week included detail about the switches, saying that the fuel to the plane’s engines appeared to have been shut off just seconds after the plane lifted off.

According to that preliminary report, shortly after takeoff, the plane’s fuel cutoff switches for both engines went from the “RUN” position to the “CUTOFF” position, one after another within one second — shutting off fuel to both engines.

In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he hit the cutoff switch, according to the preliminary report. “The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” that report stated.

The WSJ report added detail to that conversation, saying the dialogue “between the flight’s two pilots indicates it was the captain who turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane’s two engines,” according to the WSJ’s sources.

ABC News’ Clara McMichael contributed to this report.

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