The key facts

  • The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 94 of 123 Russian drones; power outages were reported in the Rivne region
  • Russia's Defense Ministry reported strikes on Ukraine's military-industrial and energy sectors and said 71 Ukrainian drones were shot down
  • Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Moscow follows talks in Abu Dhabi, where a prisoner exchange was discussed

Overnight strikes and mutual statements

Russia and Ukraine on Thursday exchanged accusations over overnight strikes — against the backdrop of a visit by American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow, where a meeting with President Vladimir Putin was expected. Anadolu reports this.

Statements from the Ukrainian side

The head of the Rivne region, Oleksandr Koval, wrote on Telegram that the region came under overnight airstrikes, which, according to him, targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas. «Power outages have occurred in populated localities of the Rivne and Sarny districts,» he noted, adding that in particular Kostopil was left without electricity and critical infrastructure facilities are switching to generators. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties; the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported the completion of work at the site. Air raid sirens sounded throughout the evening and night in Kyiv, and residents were urged to take shelter; no casualties or damage were reported in the capital. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that it shot down 94 of 123 drones launched by Russia, and also that Russia used an unspecified number of ballistic and anti-ship missiles, without providing details on their fate.

Statements from the Russian side

Russia's Ministry of Defense announced «massive» strikes on facilities of Ukraine's military-industrial and energy sectors, as well as on an ammunition depot in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. According to the ministry, Russian air defense shot down 71 Ukrainian drones over seven regions, as well as over Crimea. The governor of the Rostov region, Yuri Slyusar, reported that an attack over the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky and Chertkovo districts was repelled and that there is no information about casualties or damage on the ground, with details being clarified. The governor of the Omsk region, Vitaly Khotsenko, said that one person was injured as a result of the overnight strikes. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported the interception of five drones flying toward the capital. Ukraine has not yet commented on the strikes on Russia; independent verification of both sides' claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.

Context: talks in Abu Dhabi and the envoys' route

The strikes came a day after the conclusion of two-day peace talks between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the United States in Abu Dhabi. Their notable outcome was a new prisoner exchange, the details of which have not yet been confirmed. After the talks, Kushner told journalists that he would travel to Moscow with Witkoff on Thursday for a meeting with Putin, where they would «agree on the numbers» for a prisoner exchange and discuss the possible involvement of Europe in the negotiations, which Moscow has so far resisted. Then, according to him, the envoys will head to Ireland, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Dublin on Wednesday: two meetings involving European leaders are scheduled there for Thursday and Friday. The envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning and were met by presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.