Ukraine and Russia Trade Deadly Strikes After U.S. Tries to Reboot Peace Talks

Oct. 22, 2026 A Ukrainian drone prepares for flight. General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ukraine and Russia exchanged a flurry of drone and missile attacks overnight, leaving at least seven dead across Ukraine and one person killed in southwestern Russia, officials in the two warring countries said Thursday morning. Authorities in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine said a man was killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into the truck he was driving. In a separate strike in the region, a man riding a motorcycle was wounded. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 630 Ukrainian drones had been tracked in the skies above the wider Moscow region overnight, with air defense systems intercepting 163 of the unmanned aircraft that were on a direct approach to the city. Two people were wounded in the Voronovo district, located to the southwest of central Moscow. There were also reports of an explosion and fire south of the capital. The exiled news outlet Astra, using eyewitness footage of the fire, identified the targeted facility as a storage and logistics facility belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, located in Serpukhov. The Moscow Times could not independently verify those reports. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it intercepted 808 Ukrainian drones across Russia and annexed Crimea between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Russian officials reported injuries in the border regions of Kursk amid the overnight air barrage. Residential buildings in the Lipetsk region were also damaged. Power lines were knocked down in the Voronezh and Kaluga regions. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russian attacks killed at least seven people across the country, including three in Zaporizhzhia, two in Donetsk, one in Sumy and a woman in the Kharkiv region. The exchange of attacks came just hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff concluded talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg to discuss renewing trilateral peace negotiations that have stalled since February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Kyiv supported a U.S. proposal for three-way talks with Moscow and Washington. The Kremlin said Putin had agreed to resume the U.S.-mediated talks as early as next month. AFP and Reuters contributed reporting. Read more about: Drones , Ukraine war Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Feature Russian Low-Cost Drones Are Changing the Face of Its War in Ukraine Along the M-14 highway, systematic Russian FPV strikes are putting Kherson’s only reliable connection with the rest of Ukraine under threat. 5 Min read Feature 'A Bit Unusual': Russia's Sochi Resort Grapples With Ukrainian Drones Disruptions to daily life have become more frequent in this summer escape on the Black Sea as Ukraine ups its long-range drone strikes on Russia. 3 Min read Russian Rail Strikes Kill 1, Wound Dozens as Attacks Intensify Near Ukraine’s Front Russia launched drones at two passenger trains in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region on Saturday, killing one person and wounding dozens. 2 Min read Ukrainian Drones Hit Major Russian Oil Refinery, Chemical Plant Both facilities are located roughly 1,500 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border. 2 Min read