Russia, Ukraine Trade Strike Claims as US Envoys Visit Moscow
(MENAFN) Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations Thursday over overnight drone and missile attacks, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for expected talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on efforts to end the war.
In Ukraine, Rivne regional Gov. Oleksandr Koval reported on Telegram that overnight strikes hit his region, targeting energy facilities and residential neighborhoods.
“There are power outages in settlements across the Rivne and Sarny districts,” Koval said, noting that the town of Kostopil was particularly affected, with electricity supplies cut off and critical infrastructure relying on backup generators.
He said initial assessments showed no casualties from the attacks. Ukraine's State Emergency Service separately announced that its personnel, working alongside other agencies, had completed operations at the affected site.
Meanwhile, Kyiv's City Military Administration issued air raid warnings throughout the evening, advising residents to seek shelter immediately.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later confirmed in a statement that a drone strike on a nine-story apartment building in the capital's Solomianskyi district killed one person and injured five others.
Ukraine's Air Force claimed its air defense systems intercepted 94 of the 123 drones allegedly launched by Russia overnight. It also reported that Moscow had fired an unspecified number of ballistic and anti-ship missiles but provided no information on their outcomes.
On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out “massive” attacks against Ukrainian military-industrial and energy infrastructure, along with an ammunition storage facility in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
The ministry also claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed 71 Ukrainian drones across seven Russian regions and Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.
In southern Russia, Rostov regional Gov. Yury Slyusar said authorities had repelled an attack targeting the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky and Chertkovsky districts.
“No information has been received regarding casualties or damage on the ground. Details are being verified,” Slyusar added.
Omsk regional Gov. Vitaliy Khotsenko separately reported that one person sustained injuries in overnight attacks.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said five drones heading toward the Russian capital had been intercepted.
Ukraine has yet to issue a response regarding the reported attacks inside Russia. Independent confirmation of the claims made by both sides remains difficult amid the continuing conflict.
The latest exchanges followed two days of US-brokered peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, which concluded Wednesday with an agreement on another prisoner exchange between the two countries. However, neither side has confirmed the details of the arrangement.
Following the negotiations, Kushner told reporters that he and Witkoff would travel to Moscow Thursday to meet Putin. He said discussions would focus on efforts to "finalize the numbers" for the prisoner exchange, as well as the possibility of bringing European countries into the negotiations, an idea Moscow has so far opposed.
The US representatives were also scheduled to travel to Ireland afterward for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Dublin on Wednesday ahead of two engagements with European leaders planned for Thursday and Friday.
Witkoff and Kushner landed in Moscow early Thursday and were welcomed at Vnukovo Airport by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
In Ukraine, Rivne regional Gov. Oleksandr Koval reported on Telegram that overnight strikes hit his region, targeting energy facilities and residential neighborhoods.
“There are power outages in settlements across the Rivne and Sarny districts,” Koval said, noting that the town of Kostopil was particularly affected, with electricity supplies cut off and critical infrastructure relying on backup generators.
He said initial assessments showed no casualties from the attacks. Ukraine's State Emergency Service separately announced that its personnel, working alongside other agencies, had completed operations at the affected site.
Meanwhile, Kyiv's City Military Administration issued air raid warnings throughout the evening, advising residents to seek shelter immediately.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko later confirmed in a statement that a drone strike on a nine-story apartment building in the capital's Solomianskyi district killed one person and injured five others.
Ukraine's Air Force claimed its air defense systems intercepted 94 of the 123 drones allegedly launched by Russia overnight. It also reported that Moscow had fired an unspecified number of ballistic and anti-ship missiles but provided no information on their outcomes.
On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out “massive” attacks against Ukrainian military-industrial and energy infrastructure, along with an ammunition storage facility in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
The ministry also claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed 71 Ukrainian drones across seven Russian regions and Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.
In southern Russia, Rostov regional Gov. Yury Slyusar said authorities had repelled an attack targeting the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky and Chertkovsky districts.
“No information has been received regarding casualties or damage on the ground. Details are being verified,” Slyusar added.
Omsk regional Gov. Vitaliy Khotsenko separately reported that one person sustained injuries in overnight attacks.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said five drones heading toward the Russian capital had been intercepted.
Ukraine has yet to issue a response regarding the reported attacks inside Russia. Independent confirmation of the claims made by both sides remains difficult amid the continuing conflict.
The latest exchanges followed two days of US-brokered peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, which concluded Wednesday with an agreement on another prisoner exchange between the two countries. However, neither side has confirmed the details of the arrangement.
Following the negotiations, Kushner told reporters that he and Witkoff would travel to Moscow Thursday to meet Putin. He said discussions would focus on efforts to "finalize the numbers" for the prisoner exchange, as well as the possibility of bringing European countries into the negotiations, an idea Moscow has so far opposed.
The US representatives were also scheduled to travel to Ireland afterward for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Dublin on Wednesday ahead of two engagements with European leaders planned for Thursday and Friday.
Witkoff and Kushner landed in Moscow early Thursday and were welcomed at Vnukovo Airport by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
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