War, latest news. Moscow’s four airports closed: drone attack underway. The mayor: 15 intercepted

Furthermore, following the drone attack, the car manufacturer Agr Holding has announced the suspension of production of its Tenet vehicles at its local plant.

In the United States, in Florida, a meeting is scheduled for today and tomorrow between US leaders and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Miami for talks with White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, focusing on a possible ceasefire in the war – at least regarding energy infrastructure and grain shipments – and on discussing new ideas and proposals drawn up by the Americans. Representatives from Europe and NATO are also taking part in the talks, which are being hosted at Kushner’s resort.

Bjoern Seibert, chief of staff to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the EU at the talks between the US and Ukraine scheduled to take place in Miami. This is according to the Kyiv Independent, citing diplomatic sources. Two EU officials have stated that Seibert will represent the European Commission at these talks, alongside the national security advisers of the E3 countries: France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Russia is making the introduction of a ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure and cargo ships in the Black Sea during the war in Ukraine conditional on the lifting of sanctions, according to Ukrainian and American sources familiar with the content of the negotiations, as also reported by the Kyiv Independent.

The request comes just as Moscow’s forces are stepping up their attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the aim of using them as leverage in negotiations, according to analysis by the military in Kyiv.

The news broke at 16:40 Italian time, Moscow has not (yet) commented.

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has said that a telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will take place “shortly”. This has been reported by Russian news agencies.

The American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “are always welcome in Moscow” and Russian President Vladimir Putin “is always pleased to meet them”. This was stated by his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov.

Today and tomorrow, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to hold talks in the United States with Ukrainian negotiators, who are also expected to be joined by European representatives, according to an announcement made yesterday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with the US President yesterday ahead of today’s meeting in Miami with Ukrainian negotiators. Axios reports this, citing a well-informed US official.

During the meeting, the source explained, Witkoff and Kushner presented Trump with the US proposal for ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and sought his views ahead of the talks in Miami, which are expected to last two days. 

Also present at the meeting were the Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and the US Deputy National Security Adviser Mike Needham.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine has struck the Russian oil refinery in Ukhta. The Ukrainians are also continuing to attack Russian border regions. Kyiv states that this is the fourth Russian refinery to have been struck so far this week.

Two people were killed and four others, including a child, were injured following a bombardment carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the region of Belgorod. According to TASS, this was reported by the regional operational headquarters.

Russia, on the other hand, struck a merchant ship in the port of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, off the Black Sea coast. This was reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Ministry of Defence, which stated that the ship was being used by the Ukrainian army.

For its part, TASS reports, again citing the ministry and without providing further details, that overnight Russian military drones struck Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the Russian military department – the news agency adds – the attacks on the facilities continued throughout the night using remotely piloted aircraft.

“In just two days, the violent Russian offensive has left 78 people dead and 215 injured. Buses have been targeted. Innocent civilians have been struck whilst going about their daily lives. They will never return home. Put simply: these are war crimes. Our thoughts are with the courageous people of Ukraine. Europe stands firmly by your side. With more drones, missiles and air defence systems to protect your skies. With financial support to keep your country running. And with aid to repair your energy infrastructure and ensure you have heating this winter.”

This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Today, Russian attacks have killed three people and injured at least eight across Ukraine, as the country struggles to counter the escalation in Russian shelling, which has killed more than 50 people – fewer than the 78 cited by Von der Leyen – over the last three days.

The authorities have stated that on Friday morning, one man was killed and five people were injured in Russian attacks in the Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. Another man was killed in Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine, whilst the body of a woman was recovered from the rubble of a warehouse in the Kyiv region. Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a long-range air war, whilst their armies remain largely deadlocked on the front line, more than four and a half years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Moscow is also pressing ahead with its plan to weaken, if not destroy, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure well before the onset of the harsh winter. From 9 am this morning, emergency power cuts have been introduced in some regions. As reported by Ukrinform, the news was announced by NPC Ukrenergo on Telegram.