Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s capital overnight on October 21. The strikes included three volleys of ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight on Thursday, October 22, as Moscow reported that hundreds of Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s capital, hours after new American efforts to restart peace talks.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has launched 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv. Overnight attacks that spread across 12 regions of Ukraine resulted in at least four fatalities and 30-plus injuries, including five children.
Tu-160M Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Russian Military/Creative Commons.
Tu-160 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons
At the same time, Russia claimed that 630 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow.
Progress in Talks? More Missiles Mean More Trouble
It came after Putin met with the US emissary in St. Petersburg and agreed to resume negotiations in November.
Russia launched three volleys of ballistic missiles at Kyiv.
Zelenskyy responded to the bombardment by mocking Witkoff’s reference to Putin as a “humanitarian” yesterday following a prisoner exchange.
“Unfortunately, there have been numerous hits and significant damage across the city,” said Zelensky, according to Kyiv Post.
The attack damaged residential buildings, shopping malls, power plants, railway stations, and the metro; it also hit an ambulance station, damaging six ambulances.
According to Ukraine’s air defense, Russia launched 210 attack drones in addition to the missiles. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s air defense intercepted 181 of them by Thursday morning.
Moreover, according to Ukraine, Russian missiles hit 32 sites in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy stated that the barrage was proof that there is no change in Russia’s position despite the talks, adding that Russia does not want peace but rather to continue attacking.
Moscow Under Attack
Moscow reports that 630 Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s capital.
Russian authorities reported an unprecedented attack on Moscow and other Russian cities with Ukrainian drones.
Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin stated that 630 Ukrainian drones were launched at the Moscow region on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Sobyanin as saying most drones were intercepted far from Moscow.
Russia’s defense ministry reported that Russian air defenses had shot down 808 Ukrainian drones overnight in Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Neither of the figures has been independently verified.
Two people were injured in Voronovo, Russia, a district to the southwest of Moscow. In addition, in Belgorod, a border region near Ukraine, a drone killed a truck driver and injured a motorcyclist.
Moscow claimed that it launched a “massive attack” on Ukrainian ports and ships in Odesa, which also remains unproven.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to attack Russia’s military sites and energy facilities, while the other side’s ballistic missiles and drones continue to attack Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Putin Says Talks Could Resume in UAE
The latest attack was staged after the Russian President met with the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg in a three-hour meeting on Wednesday.
Witkoff held talks in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European officials before meeting with Putin.
In his meeting with Putin, Witkoff emphasized that the talks with Zelenskyy had been “productive” so far, and he hoped they would lead to an end to the war.
Later, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Russia was in principle open to resuming the trilateral talks around November 10.
They would discuss Russia’s and Ukraine’s post-war security guarantees, with Abu Dhabi suggested as the meeting place.
The negotiations would take place between aides, and not at the level of the two presidents.
Nevertheless, the Kremlin did not seem enthusiastic about resuming talks, as Ushakov noted that Witkoff presented proposals from the Oslo talks that, he claimed, did not reflect Moscow’s interests.
An unnamed American official told Axios that the U.S. had proposed technical-level negotiations, which both Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to.
Witkoff Praises Putin after He Freed U.S. Teacher, Condemned by Congressmen
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff began with the Russian president informing the visitor that Russia had freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American retired teacher, who had been imprisoned in Russia since the beginning of the war after being accused of fighting for Ukraine.
Hubbard was arrested when Russian troops occupied Izium and sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for “mercenary activity”.
His family has always claimed that he was framed, noting that he was a private tutor, and the U.S. administration challenged Moscow’s claims.
Witkoff thanked Putin for helping free Hubbard and called him a “humanitarian,” provoking global criticism.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
