Russia again attacked Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing one woman and injuring eight in an attack hours after U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks ended with no deal reached in Abu Dhabi on November 12.
An explosive Russian drone hit a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district, igniting a fire and causing damage to several floors of the structure, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Putin Back in 2018. Image Credit: Creative Commons
Putin Speaking at Railway Conference Russia Government Photo.
The attack comes as U.S. representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Apartment Building Hit
A Russian drone hit a residential building in Kyiv around 8 a.m., starting a fire in the apartments.
“A drone strike caused a fire on the third to sixth floors of a nine-story residential building,” Klitschko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
The Kyiv city prosecutor’s office later confirmed that one woman in her 40s died in the incident and seven were injured, most of whom suffered from acute stress reactions.
Firefighters responded to the scene, and investigators have started an investigation into war crimes.
Explosions were heard throughout Kyiv earlier in the morning after Ukraine’s Air Force issued a warning of ballistic missile attacks.
123 Drones and Several Missiles Launched
Russia launched a volley of Iskander-M, KN-23 and S-400 ballistic missiles, Zircon anti-ship missiles and 123 drones, including 72 jet-powered Shaheds, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
By 8 a.m., 89 drones, including 51 jet-powered drones, had been destroyed by Ukrainian defenses. Five Banderol/Dan-T weapons were also destroyed.
Missiles and drones hit 17 locations, and debris was recorded at 18 locations.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces attacked a rocket plant in Kyiv, drone manufacturing plants in the surrounding area, and power substations in Zhytomyr.
Power Outages in Western Ukraine
Russian attacks also caused damage to energy sites in western Ukraine.
“As a result of the Russian attack, energy infrastructure was damaged, causing emergency power outages in the Shepetivka district,” Khmelnytskyi Oblast Governor Serhii Tiurin said, via the Kyiv Independent.
Governor Oleksandr Koval said there were widespread power cuts in the nearby Rivne Oblast.
“More than 160 settlements in Rivne Oblast remain without electricity as of 08:30,” Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Energy workers were trying to restore power to the areas.
Critical infrastructure had been using backup generators.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that limitations placed on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite communication systems supplied by the U.S. had caused problems in shooting down Russian drones. The exact cause of the disruptions remains unclear.
“Our units have, unfortunately, been observing significant disruptions in the operation of Starshield over Ukrainian territory for several days now,” Zelenskyy announced on Thursday.
This is causing problems for Ukrainian defense systems, as the limitations make it harder for them to shoot down faster Russian drones in time.
“Unfortunately, this is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and inflict more successful strikes on Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
Presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov also slammed the new limitations.
“The operating speed of Starlink while moving has once again been restricted. We did not enjoy it for long,” he complained on Thursday.
Prisoner Swap Agreed
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap during their negotiations on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi.
However, disagreements over territories persisted.
“One of the positives is we agreed that we’re going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners,” Kushner boasted following the talks.
The exact number of prisoners and when they might be released has not been decided.
Kushner also lamented that “the reality is there is no trust right now between the sides, and that is to be expected after a conflict like this.”
Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia said the Russian team came with “very, very strict directives,” so reaching an agreement was difficult.
Putin Back in 2016. Image Credit Creative Commons
But he said there was “really big progress” in security assurances and added, “I think we have good momentum to bring about a solution before the new year.”
Kyiv’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was less optimistic, noting that “significant differences remain. There is still a great deal of difficult work ahead.”
Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky did not seem willing to budge on Moscow’s territorial demands.
“As for territorial issues, every inch of our land will be returned to Russia. One way or another,” he said, via The Moscow Times.
U.S. Envoys Meet Putin
Kushner and Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Thursday ahead of planned meetings with Zelenskyy in Dublin.
“We see some openings and some opportunities there,” Kushner said after the negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Putin reiterated Russia’s stance that having European forces in Ukraine after a ceasefire was “unacceptable.” Zelenskyy said he was hopeful some progress could be made in negotiations before the end of 2026; however, he remains firm that Ukrainian forces cannot be pulled out of areas still controlled by Kyiv in Donbas.
No ceasefire has been announced, and Washington continues diplomatic efforts as Russia launches more attacks.
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.
