KYIV: At least seven people have been killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, authorities said on Thursday, October 22, following talks between US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.
The overnight attacks, which also left several people injured and damaged critical infrastructure, came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The casualties were reported in several Ukrainian regions, including Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk. Authorities said one man was killed in Sumy, a woman in Kharkiv, three people in Zaporizhzhia and two others in Donetsk.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian strikes wounded 15 people in the Ukrainian capital. The attacks also damaged metro infrastructure around the Pivdenny Bridge, prompting restrictions on traffic between parts of the city.
Ukraine’s air force issued warnings of additional ballistic missile threats targeting Kyiv and urged residents to remain in shelters.
Russia also reported a major wave of drone attacks overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defences faced a barrage of approximately 630 drones directed towards the region, including 163 reportedly approaching the Russian capital.
Authorities in Russia’s Tula region said air defences destroyed 70 drones, while a man was reported wounded in the Lipetsk region.
The developments underscored the continuing intensity of the conflict, despite diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire or broader peace agreement.
The latest violence followed a three-hour meeting between Witkoff and Putin on Wednesday, October 21, as Washington intensified efforts to advance negotiations.
Trump expressed optimism after the discussions, saying negotiators were “maybe now the closest we’ve been” to ending the war.
Witkoff, who travelled to Russia after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo, described his talks with Putin as constructive but acknowledged that significant work remained.
“There is still important work left to do,” the US envoy said, adding that discussions among the United States, Ukraine and Russia would continue at the technical level.
Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also participated in the discussions remotely.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow was, in principle, prepared to resume trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States around mid-November, after the US midterm elections.
According to Ushakov, Russia wants the discussions to focus on post-war security arrangements.
Zelensky also indicated Ukraine’s support for resuming trilateral talks.
The diplomatic engagement comes after more than a year of US-led efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, promising to end the war quickly, but negotiations have yet to produce a lasting breakthrough.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky have also experienced tensions, prompting renewed efforts to repair their diplomatic relationship.
The latest discussions followed a reported agreement involving Russian diesel supplies, which Trump said could help ease prices affected by the war with Iran. The development reportedly drew criticism from Kyiv and parts of Europe.
Washington’s decision to delay additional sanctions against Russia also attracted attention, with Trump defending the move as necessary to secure the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, a retired English teacher in his 70s who had been detained in Russia over allegations relating to fighting for Ukraine, which he denied.
During the meeting, Witkoff reportedly thanked Putin for granting Trump’s request concerning Hubbard’s release.
Meanwhile, Ushakov said preparations were underway for a meeting involving Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen, China, next month.
Despite the renewed diplomatic contacts, the continued attacks and Moscow’s territorial demands remain major obstacles to a negotiated settlement.
Russia has continued to reject face-to-face talks between Putin and Zelensky while insisting on its claims in eastern Ukraine.
The war, which has killed tens of thousands of people, remains one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts since World War II.
