Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged overnight attacks, leaving seven people dead in Ukraine, according to the supplied report, as diplomatic efforts to end the war continued following talks between US President Donald Trump’s envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump described Wednesday’s meeting between envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Saint Petersburg as a possible step towards ending the conflict. He said negotiators were “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to a peace deal.
However, the attacks continued despite the diplomatic engagement.
The report said Russian strikes killed civilians in Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported injuries in the capital and damage to metro infrastructure near Pivdenny Bridge, disrupting traffic. Ukraine’s air force warned residents of incoming ballistic missiles and urged them to remain in shelters.
In Russia, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defences were responding to a large drone attack, with 163 drones reportedly heading towards the capital. Authorities in the Tula and Lipetsk regions also reported drone interceptions and injuries.
Witkoff travelled to Russia after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the talks with Putin remotely.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow was prepared, in principle, to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States around mid-November. He said the discussions should focus on post-war security while criticizing the substance of proposals presented by Kyiv and European countries.
Zelensky said Ukraine also supported resuming trilateral talks.
Witkoff described his meeting with Putin as constructive but acknowledged that significant work remained. The discussions came amid continued fighting and disagreements over sanctions, security guarantees, and the terms of a possible settlement.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and successive diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a lasting peace agreement.
