Drones and missiles rain down as Kyiv and Moscow grapple with the White House’s plan for peace.
KYIV — Six people were killed and 13 wounded in Kyiv alone as Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service reported on Tuesday morning.
Ukraine’s drones simultaneously attacked Russia’s Rostov and Krasnodar regions, wounding 16 people and killing two, local governors said in Telegram posts.
Meanwhile, Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, announced on X that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the U.S. “at the earliest possible date in November to finalize the final stages and reach an agreement with President Trump.”
The reciprocal strikes — and potential meting of leaders — come against the backdrop of another round of peace talks initiated by the United States.
Washington initially wanted Kyiv to agree to a 28-point peace plan backed by and favoring Russia. As the Kremlin rejected the EU’s counterproposal, Ukraine and the U.S. worked up a slimmed-down version of the original plan. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is meeting with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss the document.
In Ukraine, Russia targeted civilian and energy infrastructure in the Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions, Zelenskyy said in a morning statement.
“In total, the Russians used 22 different missiles of various types and over 460 drones,” Zelenskyy said. Moldova and Romania also reported drone incursions into their airspace during the attacks.
“Weapons and air defense systems are important, as is the sanctions pressure on the aggressor. There can be no pauses in assistance,” Zelenskyy added. “What matters most now is that all partners move toward diplomacy together, through joint efforts. Pressure on Russia must deliver results.”
Ukrainian Army General Staff said they had targeted an aircraft repair plant and a drone production company in the Rostov region, and an oil terminal in Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region.
The Krasnodar region reported one of the longest and most massive attacks by Ukraine. “Six residents of the region were injured, at least 20 houses in five municipalities were damaged,” Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratiev said.
In the nearby region of Rostov, the Ukrainian drone attack killed at least two people and wounded 10, and damaged several warehouses and 12 residential buildings, local Governor Yuri Sliusar said.