Overnight drone and missile strikes hit both nations while American envoys work to bring European Union delegates into negotiations.
Russia and Ukraine reported heavy overnight attacks across multiple regions on Friday, even as United States envoys pushed to bring European delegates into peace negotiations.
Russian officials said a wave of around 1,200 Ukrainian drones targeted locations across the country, while Ukrainian authorities reported ongoing strikes on Odesa and damage to a hospital in Kyiv, Al Jazeera reported. The exchanges came directly after U.S. diplomats held high-level meetings in Moscow and Dublin to mediate an end to the fighting.
Strikes hit infrastructure and civilian areas
Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated that air defense units intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight across more than 15 regions. In the southern region of Volgograd, strikes on an industrial zone killed four people and injured two others, regional Governor Andrei Bocharov said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 467 Ukrainian drones struck the capital overnight, citing the RIA Novosti news agency.
In Ukraine, Russian forces launched attacks on the southern port city of Odesa early Friday, killing at least two people, according to the local military administration. The Russian Defence Ministry said it hit a Black Sea cargo ship carrying weapons and equipment for Ukrainian troops. A drone strike also set fire to a Kyiv hospital, leaving one person hurt, while Ukrainian emergency officials reported six injuries from attacks in the southeastern Zaporizhia district.
Diplomats seek broader role for Europe
The strikes followed a round of shuttle diplomacy by U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who traveled to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before flying to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kushner said Putin agreed to include European Union representatives in future peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the move to give Europe a voice, BBC News reported, noting it aligns with Kyiv’s long-term goal of joining the European Union. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Dublin that European inclusion is necessary to protect continental interests and support Ukraine. However, the Kremlin hasn’t officially confirmed that it agreed to the plan.
The push comes after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large prisoner swap during talks in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, marking the largest prisoner exchange since the 2022 invasion. Those negotiations, however, failed to make headway on a broader peace settlement.
Unresolved demands and next steps
Major obstacles continue to stall negotiations, with Russian forces controlling roughly one-fifth of Ukraine. Moscow has repeated demands to control all of Ukraine’s Donbas region. Unconfirmed reports also indicated Moscow asked that Finland leave NATO and that the alliance promise not to base troops in the Baltic region.
Tensions between Washington and Kyiv also surfaced Thursday when Zelenskyy stated Ukrainian forces faced systematic restrictions to SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service, hampering their ability to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. EU leaders are debating their strategy and discussing who will serve as their lead negotiator before Russia and Ukraine are expected to return to talks next week.
