Ukraine launches massive drone barrage on Russia amid expanded U.S.-led talks on European security framework

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine launched close to 1,200 drones against Russian targets overnight, staging one of its largest aerial assaults since Moscow invaded nearly five years ago.

At the same time, U.S. and Russian negotiators escalated the diplomatic effort to end the war by broadening the agenda to include Europe‑wide security arrangements that have existed since the Cold War’s end. Moscow’s push for this change, which European leaders view as a threat, has raised concerns about NATO’s future relevance.

“Russia seeks to discuss the European security architecture. We do not need to discuss it; it already exists,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remarked, pointing to NATO.

Following two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi involving Russian, Ukrainian and US delegations, American envoys travelled to Moscow to inform President Vladimir Putin and to Kyiv’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was holding meetings with European officials in Dublin, Ireland.

Additional meetings are scheduled as the negotiating team aims for a diplomatic breakthrough, according to US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law.

Kushner reported that Russia has now agreed to involve European nations in forthcoming talks, reversing its previous stance that European governments—viewed as part of the problem for supporting Ukraine—should be excluded.

Having Europe at the table, Kushner posted on X, will enable negotiators “to tackle the wider post‑war European security framework in parallel with the territorial disputes between Ukraine and Russia.”

While European leaders race to appoint a representative for the negotiations, they remain cautious about Russian tactics and about President Trump’s commendations of Putin and his administration’s harsh remarks toward Europe.

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas warned on Friday that Europe will demand a ceasefire before proceeding further—a stance contrary to what President Putin is seeking.

“Discussing Russia’s demands on the security architecture would mean walking into the traps Russia is laying for us,” she told reporters in Dublin.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden urged Europe to seize control of its destiny, stating, “Neither the United States nor Russia should be allowed to decide our future.”

Moscow’s objective, according to a late Thursday assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, is “to dismantle NATO and the post‑Cold War European security architecture.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russia remains open to contacts with European representatives.

“If we can gauge Europe’s genuine intentions and its willingness to aid the peace process, a decision can be made to hold an expanded dialogue on a Ukraine settlement,” Peskov added.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday reiterated concerns over speed restrictions placed on the U.S. Starshield system—SpaceX’s military‑grade version of Starlink—that Ukraine relies on for defense.

The caps limit Ukrainian drones to 161 km/h (100 mph) across the entire front and in occupied areas, he explained, preventing Ukraine from using its interceptors against Russia’s fast jet‑driven drones.

“We still have no clear explanations,” he said regarding the sudden, unannounced limits, after first raising the issue on Thursday.

Ukrainian officials have appealed to the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon and SpaceX to clarify and resolve the issue, he noted.

Similar SpaceX speed limits imposed last month severely hampered Ukrainian drone operations, prompting alarm in Kyiv over potential reductions in U.S. assistance.

Elon Musk disclosed in October that SpaceX had temporarily throttled Starlink services in Ukraine for roughly a week, arguing that the system should not be used for offensive strikes against Russia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 1,198 Ukrainian long‑range drones late Thursday into Friday. Nonetheless, strikes on three Russian regions killed seven civilians, including a 12‑year‑old, and injured 17 others, according to local authorities.

The large‑scale Ukrainian drone offensive seemed intended to demonstrate Kyiv’s resilience, challenging Moscow’s narrative that a Russian victory is unavoidable.

Ukrainian troops are employing drones and ground robots to bolster defenses along the roughly 1,200‑kilometer (750‑mile) front line that stretches through eastern and southeastern Ukraine.

With its forces largely stalemated on the battlefield, Russia has intensified strategic attacks on civilian areas to inflict further damage on Ukraine.

Russian drones struck Ukrainian territory overnight, killing at least two civilians, among them a 17‑year‑old, authorities reported.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian attack on Friday destroyed two five‑story apartment buildings, wounding 25 people, including six children, officials confirmed.

The conflict has resulted in hundreds of thousands of military deaths and thousands of civilian casualties, according to analysts and humanitarian groups.

Strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left roughly half the nation without electricity on Friday, according to First Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov.

Since the war’s onset, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s power grid each winter in an effort to erode public morale.

AP reporters Sam McNeil in Dublin, Susie Blann in Kyiv, Ukraine and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal contributed to this story.

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