Russia, Ukraine Trade Strikes Hours After Trump Envoy Meets Putin

Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone and missile attacks overnight, resulting in seven fatalities on the Ukrainian side and casualties in Russia, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.

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

Despite the diplomatic discussions, attacks continued. Moscow's mayor reported that two people were wounded by 630 drones fired toward the region, with 163 approaching the capital. Russian air defenses reportedly destroyed 70 drones over the Tula region, and another man was injured in the Lipetsk region.

In Ukraine, authorities reported that attacks killed one man in Sumy, a woman in Kharkiv, three people in Zaporizhzhia, and two in Donetsk. Kyiv's mayor stated that 15 people were wounded in the capital, with strikes damaging metro infrastructure and the Pivdenny Bridge.

Witkoff had traveled to Russia from Oslo, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday. The talks with Putin also included Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, remotely.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Russia was "in principle, ready to resume" trilateral talks in mid-November, after the U.S. midterm elections, focusing on post-war security. Zelensky also expressed support for resuming these talks.

Ushakov noted that Witkoff briefed Putin on "some new aspects in the approaches of the Europeans and Kyiv" from the Oslo meeting, but described the substance as limited. He also mentioned preparations for a summit in Shenzhen, China, next month involving Putin, Trump, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

During the meeting, Witkoff reportedly thanked Putin for releasing U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, a retired English teacher detained for fighting for Ukraine. Witkoff called Putin "a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that."

Witkoff described the talks with Putin as "constructive" but acknowledged that "there is still important work left to do," with discussions to continue at a technical level.

Trump, who has previously promised to end the war within 24 hours of returning to power, has recently shifted focus back to Putin. He has touted a deal for Russia to sell diesel and reduce prices, a move that drew criticism from Kyiv and European nations. Trump defended delaying sanctions on Russia's war machine as necessary for Hubbard's release.

The conflict, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties. Putin has consistently rejected direct talks with Zelensky and maintains Russia's intention to capture eastern Ukraine.