KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of ballistic missiles against Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, Ukrainian officials said Thursday. Meanwhile, Russia’s military claimed its air defenses intercepted more than 800 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and other cities.
READ MORE : A Russian missile and drone barrage kills at least 14 in Ukraine’s Kyiv region
The attacks came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed “in principle” to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, raising fresh questions about prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough.
“Russia has not changed the way it wages this war, and it is taking no steps that would signal a genuine desire to end it,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following the strikes.
Putin’s agreement came during talks in St. Petersburg with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Witkoff had described a “new momentum” toward peace following his meeting with Zelenskyy in Norway on Tuesday. The proposed negotiations are expected to begin after November 10, although no specific date has been announced.
Previous rounds of technical discussions involving the three countries took place in the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland in January and February. Those talks reportedly yielded limited progress beyond prisoner exchanges, with Moscow and Kyiv remaining far apart on the terms for ending the war.
Zelenskyy said Washington had proposed the United Arab Emirates as a possible venue for the next round of negotiations. He has maintained that a meeting between national leaders may be necessary to break the deadlock.
Russian Strikes Kill Civilians and Damage Kyiv Infrastructure
Russian aerial attacks struck 12 Ukrainian regions overnight, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, including five children, Zelenskyy said.
In Lozova, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, two women aged 50 and 60 were killed in a Russian strike on a market, according to regional military administration chief Oleh Syniehubov. Another person was killed in separate attacks in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported.
Kyiv endured an hourslong barrage involving 21 ballistic missiles launched in three waves, according to Zelenskyy. The strikes damaged apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station, parts of the metro system, shopping malls and businesses. One person was killed in the capital.
Zelenskyy also said three of the ballistic missiles carried cluster munitions, which disperse numerous smaller explosive bomblets over a wide area.
Ukraine Warns of Intensifying Attacks on Energy Infrastructure
The latest bombardment has heightened concerns as Ukraine prepares for the winter months, when freezing temperatures increase demand for electricity, heating and water supplies.
Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of systematically targeting energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt essential services for civilians. Kyiv says Moscow is stockpiling ballistic missiles for another winter campaign, a strategy Ukrainians have described as “weaponizing winter.”
Since October 11, Russia has launched 170 attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy facilities, Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president has urged Washington to provide additional Patriot air-defense ammunition and impose further sanctions on Moscow. He warned that reduced military assistance and easing economic pressure could encourage Russia to continue its campaign.
“Russia is clearly taking advantage of the slowdown in air defense supplies from our partners,” Zelenskyy said. He added that easing pressure on Moscow could reinforce Putin’s belief that Russia can achieve its objectives.
Putin Considers Attending G20 Summit in Miami
The developments come amid continued diplomatic efforts by Washington to bring the conflict toward a negotiated settlement.
Western analysts have argued that Putin seeks to negotiate Ukraine’s future directly with Washington while limiting the involvement of Kyiv and European governments. The Trump administration’s approach toward European allies has also drawn criticism.
Despite the prospect of renewed negotiations, the latest missile strikes underscore the significant obstacles facing efforts to secure a ceasefire or lasting peace agreement.
Russia and Ukraine have yet to bridge their fundamental differences over the conditions for ending the war, while continued attacks on cities and energy infrastructure threaten to deepen the humanitarian crisis.
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