Ukrainian Intelligence Strikes Russian Far East Military Base Ahead of Planned Talks

Ukraine conducted a rare and significant military operation on May 30 targeting a Russian military base near Desantnaya Bay in Vladivostok, located in Russia's Far East. The operation, carried out by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence agency (HUR), resulted in at least two explosions near the 47th Separate Air Assault Battalion of the 155th Separate Guards Marine Brigade, damaging personnel, military equipment, and special assets. While Russian authorities attributed the blasts to an accident involving propane-butane cylinders, Ukrainian sources confirmed the attack as a successful intelligence operation, marking one of Ukraine's furthest strikes into Russian territory. This escalation comes ahead of planned second-round negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, with Kyiv demanding clear and reasonable proposals for peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has advocated for a four-party summit including the US and Türkiye to discuss a peace agreement. The attack and Ukraine's conditions for dialogue signal heightened tensions but also a continued pursuit of diplomatic resolution under specific terms.