Russia and Ukraine Trade Strikes as US Envoy Cites Progress

Russia and Ukraine exchanged aerial attacks overnight, resulting in seven fatalities on the Ukrainian side. The strikes occurred shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, concluded a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.

Trump had expressed optimism following the meeting, stating that negotiators were "maybe now the closest we've been" to ending the conflict. The Kremlin indicated a willingness, in principle, to resume trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

Despite the diplomatic discussions, hostilities continued. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that two people were wounded by barrages of drones targeting the region, with 163 approaching the capital. Another person was injured in the Lipetsk region as Russian air defenses intercepted 70 drones. In Ukraine, one man died in Sumy and a woman in Kharkiv, both in the northeast. Three people were killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, and two in the eastern Donetsk region. Fifteen individuals were wounded in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The Russian attacks also damaged metro infrastructure at the Pivdenny Bridge, causing traffic disruptions.

Witkoff's visit to Russia followed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo. This trip was aimed at addressing a significant rift between Trump and Zelensky. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, participated in the talks with Putin remotely.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Russia was prepared to resume trilateral talks in mid-November, after the U.S. midterm elections, with a focus on post-war security. Zelensky also expressed support for resuming these discussions.

Ushakov noted that Witkoff presented "some new aspects in the approaches of the Europeans and Kyiv" from the Oslo meeting, but described them as lacking substantial content.

During the three-hour meeting, Witkoff thanked Putin for releasing U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, a retired English teacher detained for fighting with Ukraine. Witkoff referred to Putin as a "humanitarian," a comment that drew widespread criticism and disbelief from various political commentators.

Witkoff described the talks with Putin as "constructive" but acknowledged that "important work is still left to do." He added that discussions would continue at a technical level between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia.

Trump, who has pledged to end the war within 24 hours of returning to power in January 2025, has recently shifted focus from Ukraine back to engaging with Putin. This pivot includes trumpeting a supposed deal for Russia to sell diesel and reduce prices, which Trump defended as necessary for Hubbard's release.

Witkoff also conveyed Washington's gratitude for a deal on diesel oil, which had drawn criticism in Kyiv and across Europe. He presented Putin with "ideas" for a potential peace deal.

The war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has become Europe's most significant conflict since World War II. Putin has consistently rejected direct talks with Zelensky and maintains Moscow's intention to control more of eastern Ukraine.