On the eve of a Friday-to-Saturday turn of the calendar, Ukraine's president prepares to sit down in Istanbul with Turkey's president, two leaders whose countries sit on opposite sides of a long shadow cast by war and by the sea that borders them both. Turkey has framed the meeting around deepening ties and the security of the Black Sea, while Kyiv, in the same days, has pointed to a widening reach of its own long-range strikes into Russian territory. The two threads do not formally touch, yet they share a single question that history tends to ask of wars: how far can each side reach, and what
Zelenskyy to Meet Erdogan in Istanbul on October 31 as Black Sea Security and Deep Strikes Take Center Stage
Long-range strikes are "one of the real guarantees" of independence, Zelenskyy says
Mark
Why does this Istanbul meeting matter, beyond being another summit?
Mimi
Turkey sits on the Black Sea, and the official statement names Black Sea security specifically alongside the war itself. That's the shared ground between the two leaders.
Mark
And Zelenskyy chose this moment to talk about deep strikes.
Mimi
Yes, he posted about a briefing on September and October strikes, saying targets from Yamal to Western Siberia are now within range.
Luke
Worth being clear that's his claim. The source gives no independent confirmation, no named targets, no damage assessment.
Mark
So the range claim is unverified?
Luke
Attributed, not confirmed. Same for the idea that Russian strikes always get a justified response; that's a statement of policy, not a documented fact.
Mimi
What is documented is the visit itself. Turkey's communications directorate announced it, so the date, the place and the invitation are solid.
Mark
What about the expansion of strike units?
Mimi
He named the SSU's Alpha Special Operations Centre, intelligence agencies and other parts of the Defence Forces as sources of expansion.
Luke
But no numbers, no timeline. And we don't know whether the Istanbul talks will touch any of it.
Mark
What would count as a real outcome?
Mimi
Something concrete on Black Sea security. Right now the announcement only lists topics, not results.
Le Pouls
- Turkey's presidency has confirmed a working visit to Istanbul on October 31, with the war and Black Sea security placed at the center of the agenda.
- Zelenskyy claims Russian facilities from Yamal to Western Siberia now sit within Ukrainian strike range, a claim offered without independent confirmation.
- Plans to widen the deep-strike effort draw on the SSU's Alpha centre and Ukraine's intelligence agencies, signaling a deliberate build-up of capability.
- The outcome remains open: whether Istanbul yields concrete Black Sea steps, and how Moscow answers the claimed expansion of Ukrainian reach.
On the eve of a Friday-to-Saturday turn of the calendar, Ukraine's president prepares to sit down in Istanbul with Turkey's president, two leaders whose countries sit on opposite sides of a long shadow cast by war and by the sea that borders them both. Turkey has framed the meeting around deepening ties and the security of the Black Sea, while Kyiv, in the same days, has pointed to a widening reach of its own long-range strikes into Russian territory. The two threads do not formally touch, yet they share a single question that history tends to ask of wars: how far can each side reach, and what will it take to be heard at the table.
On Friday, Turkey's Presidency announced that Volodymyr Zelenskyy would travel to Istanbul on Saturday, October 31, at the invitation of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The working visit is meant to deepen cooperation between the two countries and to examine regional and international developments, with particular weight given to the war with Russia and the security of the Black Sea. The announcement offered no detailed agenda and did not say whether any agreement or joint statement would follow.
As the visit neared, Zelenskyy published his own message after a briefing on Ukraine's deep strikes in September and October. He thanked the troops for their precision and described every Russian attack on Ukrainian cities as drawing a fully justified response. His most striking claim concerned distance: Russian sites stretching from Yamal to Western Siberia, he said, are now within reach of Ukrainian missiles and drones, with more distant targets in view. These remain his assertions, without independent verification or a list of targets.
He also outlined an expansion of the deep-strike units, drawing on the Security Service of Ukraine, especially its Alpha Special Operations Centre, along with intelligence agencies and other parts of the Defence Forces. Zelenskyy presented these capabilities as strategic, a real guarantee of Ukraine's independence during the war and a lasting security safeguard after it ends. The two developments arrive together but are not formally connected, and what comes next will depend on whether Istanbul produces concrete Black Sea steps and how Moscow responds.
On Friday, the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Istanbul on Saturday, October 31, for a working visit. The invitation came from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the announcement was posted on X.
According to the statement, the two leaders will discuss possible steps to deepen bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine, along with regional and international developments. Two subjects were singled out for particular emphasis: the Russia-Ukraine war and the security situation in the Black Sea. Burhanettin Duran, the Presidency's Head of Communications, was cited as describing the talks as focused on regional security dynamics and the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The announcement gave no further detail on the agenda or on any expected outcomes, and it did not say whether agreements or joint statements are planned.
As the visit approached, Zelenskyy made his own announcement, also on X, after a briefing on the results of Ukraine's deep strikes in September and October. He thanked the troops involved for their precision and for what he called consistently enforcing Ukraine's long-range sanctions. He added that every Russian strike on Ukrainian cities and communities draws a response he described as fully justified.
The most striking claim concerned range. Zelenskyy said Russian facilities along a line from Yamal to Western Siberia are now within reach of Ukrainian missiles and drones, and that work continues to extend that reach to more distant parts of Russian territory. These are his own assertions; the source offers no independent verification and no list of targets or damage.
He also described plans to expand the deep-strike units. The expansion will draw on the Security Service of Ukraine, in particular its Alpha Special Operations Centre, as well as Ukraine's intelligence agencies and other components of the Defence Forces. He said key priorities for the further use of long-range capabilities have been set.
Zelenskyy framed these capabilities as strategic rather than merely tactical. In his words, they are one of the real guarantees of Ukraine's independence during the war and will remain one of its long-term security guarantees once it ends. He said he had also spoken that day with the manufacturers of these weapons.
The two items arrive together but are not formally linked in the source. What to watch is whether the Istanbul talks produce concrete steps on Black Sea security, and how Moscow responds to Kyiv's claims about expanded long-range strikes.
Citations marquantes
Russian facilities along a line stretching from Yamal to Western Siberia are now within range of our deep strikes.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on X
The leaders will discuss steps to enhance bilateral cooperation, with particular emphasis on the Russia-Ukraine war and Black Sea security.— Turkish Directorate of Communications, on X (paraphrased)
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