Russia and Ukraine exchanged large-scale attacks hours after Putin and Zelensky signalled willingness to resume talks
Large missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv and Moscow hours after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with both presidents.
Hours after both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky signalled they were willing to resume talks mediated by the United States, Russia and Ukraine carried out large-scale attacks on each other’s capitals, officials reported on 22 October 2026.
Missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv and Moscow during overnight exchanges
Rockets struck Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, wounding at least 15 people, eight of whom were taken to hospital, city authorities said. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported damage to metro infrastructure near the Southern Bridge across the Dnieper.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman Andriy Sybiha described the strikes in sharp terms, writing that "Last night Kyiv residents heard what Russian 'humanity' really sounds like: a brutal strike with dozens of ballistic missiles that hit energy infrastructure, medical facilities, shopping centres and residential neighbourhoods."
Across northeastern Ukraine, a Russian attack in the Kharkiv region killed one woman and injured four, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov said. Local officials also reported a drone strike on energy infrastructure in Poltava region.
Meanwhile in Russia, Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin said some 630 drones had been launched toward the region overnight and that most were destroyed by air-defence systems. At least two people were injured, and Sobyanin added that 163 of the drones were directed at the Russian capital.
In Lipetsk, in western Russia, Governor Igor Artamonov said a man was injured after drones struck residential buildings and a medical facility.
The latest wave of attacks came hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held separate talks earlier in the week with Zelensky in Norway and with Putin in St. Petersburg. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to mediate an end to the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Putin reportedly agreed in principle to resume negotiations mediated by the United States as soon as next month, and Zelensky signalled Ukrainian support for a U.S. proposal for trilateral talks at negotiators’ level to be held "as soon as possible." After Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, Donald Trump said it was "the closest we've been" to ending the war. Nevertheless, those signals did not halt the overnight strikes.
Photo: press material from the event
