Russia unleashes massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine as
diplomatic talks continue
[December 06, 2025]
By SUSIE BLANN
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage
on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials
said they’ll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday.
Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching attack,
which triggered air raid alerts across the country and came as Ukraine
marked Armed Forces Day, the country’s air force said Saturday morning.
Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles,
the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.
At least three people were wounded in the Kyiv region, according to
local officials. Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraine’s
Lviv region.
Russia carried out a “massive missile-drone attack” on power stations
and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s
national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 116
Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday.
Russian Telegram news channel Astra said Ukraine struck Russia’s Ryazan
Oil Refinery, sharing footage appearing to show a fire breaking out and
plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The Associated Press could
not independently verify the video.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack. Ryazan
regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged
in a drone attack and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an
“industrial facility,” but did not mention the refinery.
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Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries
have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to
pursue the war. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is
trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access
to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in
what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.
The latest round of attacks came as U.S. President Donald Trump’s
advisers and Ukrainian officials said they’ll meet for a third day
of talks on Saturday, after making progress on finding agreement on
a security framework for postwar Ukraine.
Following Friday’s talks, the two sides also offered the sober
assessment that any “real progress toward any agreement” ultimately
will depend “on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to
long-term peace.”
The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s
son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem
Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in
Florida on Friday. They offered only broad brushstrokes about the
progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to
agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war.
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