Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published November 13, 2026
Russia said its air defenses shot down 1,198 long-range Ukrainian drones overnight, one of the largest reported aerial attacks since the full-scale invasion began nearly five years ago. The Defense Ministry said the drones were downed between late Thursday and early Friday. The figure comes from Russian authorities and has not been independently verified.
The attack came as diplomacy over the war took a new turn. After two days of talks in Abu Dhabi with Russian and Ukrainian delegations, US envoys briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was meeting EU leaders in Dublin. US envoy Jared Kushner said Russia has agreed to include Europe in upcoming talks, reversing Moscow’s long insistence that European governments be excluded. Kushner said Europe’s participation would allow negotiators to address broader postwar security arrangements alongside the territorial issues between Ukraine and Russia.
The expanded agenda has unsettled some European leaders. It brings into discussion the security arrangements in place since the end of the Cold War, which has alarmed European leaders and raised questions about NATO’s future role. One official speaking in Dublin warned that engaging on Russia’s proposals for a new security architecture risks walking into traps set by Moscow.
The Institute for the Study of War said Moscow aims to dismantle NATO and the post-Cold War security architecture. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed that Russia is open to contacts with Europeans.
Fighting continued on both sides. Russia launched 117 drones at Ukraine overnight, killing at least two people, including a 17-year-old, authorities said. Attacks also caused power outages in 12 Ukrainian regions. Ukraine is using drones and ground robots along the roughly 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front line.
Zelenskyy also raised concerns about new speed restrictions on Ukraine’s Starshield satellite system. He said they limit Ukrainian drones to 161 kph and hinder interceptors against Russia’s jet-powered drones. He said Kyiv has received no clear explanation for the unannounced restrictions. Further talks are planned as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Kushner seek a breakthrough.
