Missiles Strike Kyiv as U.S. Envoy Meets Putin in Russia

Missiles struck Kyiv throughout the night, sending residents into shelters and wounding six people just after Russia signaled it was ready to resume peace talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said after his envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin that it was the closest they had been to ending the war.

Attacks And Diplomacy

Attacks continued overnight, with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting that six people were wounded and four needed hospitalisation. Ukraine's airforce warned of more ballistic missiles heading toward the capital. Meanwhile, Russian authorities said they intercepted more than 160 drones flying toward Moscow. Mr. Witkoff flew to Russia after meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo to smooth over a rift between Mr. Trump and the Ukrainian leader. Mr. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner also joined the talks with Mr. Putin remotely.

Kremlin Stance

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia was ready in principle to resume trilateral talks in mid-November after U.S. midterm elections, with a focus on post-war security. Mr. Ushakov added that peace proposals delivered by the U.S. envoy lacked substance. During the three-hour meeting in Saint Petersburg, Mr. Witkoff praised Mr. Putin as a humanitarian for freeing U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, a retired English teacher in his 70s. Mr. Trump delayed sanctions on Russia to secure Hubbard's release. Additionally, Mr. Ushakov said a historic summit between Mr. Putin, Mr. Trump, and China's Xi Jinping was being prepared in Shenzhen for next month.

Context

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have faced major hurdles as fighting continues across Ukrainian cities ahead of winter. High-level talks involving U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials aim to bridge wide gaps over post-war security and territorial control. Trilateral negotiations are expected to resume at a technical level following recent high-level meetings.