**Ukrainian Drone Strikes Ignite Fires and Halt Traffic in Russia's Kursk and Voronezh Regions**

Overnight drone assaults by Ukraine on Russia's Kursk and Voronezh regions have resulted in structural fires and traffic disruptions, regional authorities reported early Monday. Russia's Defense Ministry announced that the nation's air defenses intercepted a total of 162 Ukrainian drones, with 57 of these brought down over the Kursk region.

The falling debris from the destroyed drones caused fires in multiple houses and inflicted damage on private apartments in the Kursk region, according to Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein. In addition to the structural damage, the strikes also affected the Voronezh region where Governor Alexander Gusev noted that drone remnants severed power lines, which subsequently fell onto the M-4 expressway.

A minor segment of the M-4 expressway, linking Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, and Krasnodar, had to be closed due to the incident. Governor Gusev further reported that debris from the drones also harmed the facades of several houses.

These drone attacks occurred just as Russian and Ukrainian representatives are set to engage in a second round of renewed peace talks in Istanbul.

The aftermath of these attacks highlights the ongoing volatility and the far-reaching impacts of the current conflict, underlined by dramatic defensive measures and significant civil inconveniences.