Moscow: Russia and Ukraine exchanged attacks on Thursday as US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son in law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The diplomatic visit comes amid renewed efforts by Washington to advance peace negotiations, even as military operations continue.
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, during overnight attacks. In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defence forces had intercepted five drones heading towards the city. The initial reports did not establish the extent of damage in either capital.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had struck Ukrainian military and energy facilities, as well as a munitions warehouse in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials also reported damage to energy and civilian infrastructure in the Rivne region. Further Russian strikes were reported in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, where seven civilians were reportedly wounded.
Russian authorities also reported drone interceptions in several regions. The Defence Ministry claimed that its air defence systems had intercepted 627 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 150 over the region surrounding St Petersburg. These figures have not been independently verified.
In Russia's Leningrad region, Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported a fire at the Ust Luga port, an important Baltic Sea export facility. Three workers were reportedly injured in the incident. The circumstances surrounding the fire and its connection to the reported drone attacks were not independently established.
The arrival of Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow marks another important stage in the US diplomatic initiative. Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the American representatives. They are expected to discuss the outcome of recent negotiations in Abu Dhabi with Putin before continuing their diplomatic engagement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin, Ireland.
The Moscow visit follows two days of negotiations involving Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives in Abu Dhabi. The discussions produced an agreement on a large scale prisoner exchange, although the final number of people involved and the arrangements for carrying it out have not been confirmed.
Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov confirmed the progress on the prisoner exchange. US envoy Jared Kushner said the number of prisoners involved would be finalised following the discussions. The exchange is expected to be an important humanitarian development, but it does not represent an agreement to end the war.
Territorial disputes remain one of the biggest obstacles to a broader peace settlement. Russia continues to demand Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of the eastern Donbas region that remain under Kyiv's control. Zelenskyy has rejected surrendering Ukrainian territory as part of a settlement and maintained that such sensitive questions must be addressed by national leaders.
Security guarantees for Ukraine are another major issue. Kyiv wants assurances that Russia will not launch another invasion after a possible peace agreement. Discussions have also considered the future security arrangements for Ukraine and their implications for the wider European region.
Following the Abu Dhabi negotiations, Zelenskyy said he expected the American envoys to convey Russia's response to proposals for an energy ceasefire, a ceasefire at sea and a large scale prisoner exchange. He indicated that Ukraine had discussed a possible exchange involving 1,000 or potentially 1,200 prisoners of war. However, these figures remain part of the discussions rather than a confirmed exchange arrangement.
The proposed energy ceasefire is particularly important as Ukraine continues to face attacks on critical infrastructure ahead of winter. Previous strikes have disrupted electricity and water supplies, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without essential services. A halt to attacks on energy facilities could help reduce the hardship faced by civilians during the colder months.
The reported attack on Ust Luga also highlights the vulnerability of Russian infrastructure. The port is an important route for Russian energy and commodity exports through the Baltic Sea. However, further details are needed to establish the full impact of the reported incident.
The negotiations have also revealed disagreements over Europe's role in the peace process. Ukraine wants European countries to participate directly in future discussions, arguing that any settlement would have major consequences for European security. Russia has questioned the need for European representatives to take part, while Washington has indicated support for involving European countries in broader security discussions.
European representatives attended consultations in Abu Dhabi but were not part of the direct negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Their involvement in future discussions remains unresolved.
The latest diplomatic efforts have produced progress on prisoner exchanges and opened discussions on possible limited ceasefires. However, continued attacks, disagreements over territory and unresolved security arrangements show how difficult it will be to reach a comprehensive settlement.
The meetings in Moscow and the planned discussions with Zelenskyy in Dublin are expected to provide further indications of whether the latest US initiative can move the negotiations towards a wider agreement.