Russia claimed on Thursday that Ukraine had launched a significant aerial attack, with at least 287 drones shot down in various regions, including Moscow.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that at least 40 drones were downed over the Moscow region, which, along with the city, has over 22 million inhabitants.
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but flights were diverted from all major Moscow airports.
Zelensky to Hold Talks with 30 Countries as Trump Seeks Quick Deal with Russia
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was scheduled to hold urgent talks on Thursday with leaders and officials from about 30 countries supporting Kiev's efforts to achieve fair conditions to end the war with Russia.
Leaders from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France were expected to participate in the Ukraine allies' meeting, known as the International Coalition for Ukraine, via video conference.
Zelensky mentioned that the talks were hastily organized as officials in Kiev try not to be constrained by the demands of U.S. President, Donald Trump, for a quick deal. European governments are trying to help guide the peace negotiations because they say their own security is at stake.
Kremlin Accuses Poland of "Legal Tyranny" After Detaining Russian Archaeologist at Ukraine's Request
The Kremlin accused Poland of "legal tyranny" on Thursday after Warsaw detained a Russian archaeologist at Ukraine's request.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Alexander Butyagin, an employee of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, was detained upon arrival in Warsaw.
According to the ministry, Butyagin, who had been invited to give a series of lectures in several European cities, is accused by Ukraine of "destroying cultural heritage" during archaeological excavations in Crimea, an accusation that Moscow deemed absurd.
Russian Oil Exports Drop to Minimum Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Russian oil exports suffered a sharp decline in November due to new sanctions, reaching their lowest level since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with reduced income to less than half of what it represented back then.
In its monthly oil market report released on Thursday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicated that last month Russia exported 6.86 million barrels per day, which means 420,000 less than in October and 530,000 less than in November 2024.
Particularly affected were oil exports by ship through the Black Sea, which plummeted by 42% in November to 910,000 barrels per day, due to recent Ukrainian attacks on the so-called ghost fleet used to transport that oil and other hydrocarbon facilities.
Lavrov Aims to Agree on a Set of Documents as Basis for Long-Term Peace Agreement
Russia seeks to agree on a set of documents to serve as the basis for a long-term and sustainable peace agreement in Ukraine, with security guarantees for all parties involved, stated Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday.
Lavrov stated that Moscow considers U.S. President Donald Trump sincere in his efforts to mediate an agreement, which, he reiterated, should address "the root causes" of the conflict.
"We insist on a set of agreements that ensure lasting and sustainable peace, with security guarantees for all countries involved. Our discussions with the U.S. president and his team focus precisely on finding a long-term solution that eliminates the fundamental causes of this crisis," Lavrov declared.
Ukraine Reports Attack on Lukoil's Oil Extraction Platform in the Caspian Sea
Ukraine's Special Operations Center Alfa of the Security Service (SBU) attacked with long-distance drones an oil and gas extraction platform of the Russian oil giant Lukoil in the Caspian Sea, as reported by SBU sources to Ukrainian public media.
"At least four impacts on the offshore platform have been recorded," one of the sources told the Ukrinform news agency. "As a result of the attack, oil and gas processing in more than twenty wells was halted," they added.
According to Ukrainian public television, Suspilne, this is the first time Ukraine has targeted Russian interests in the Caspian Sea, an inland sea that borders the coasts of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The Filanovsky platform is one of the most productive operated by Russia.
Russia Strikes Again at Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure in Odesa and Poltava
The Russian Army once again targeted energy infrastructure last night in the Ukrainian regions of Poltava (central) and Odesa (south), as reported by regional authorities.
The bombed infrastructures in the Poltava region are located near the city of Kremenchuk. An energy infrastructure in Odesa was also hit. In both attacks, the Russians used kamikaze drones for long-distance attacks.
Russia has been targeting Ukrainian electricity infrastructure almost daily this fall, causing a generation deficit that forces Ukraine to ration energy with scheduled power outages of several hours a day affecting all regions of the country.
Steven Seagal Announces Upcoming Release of Documentary on the War in Ukraine
American actor Steven Seagal, who also holds Russian citizenship, announced today that he will release internationally a documentary dedicated to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine within the next two months.
"I continue working, confident in finishing this magnificent documentary titled 'In the Name of Justice' soon. I plan to present it on a large scale and worldwide within six to eight weeks," he stated to the Russian news agency TASS.
The actor received Russian citizenship in November 2016 from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who later appointed him as a special envoy for cultural relations with the U.S.
Seagal, 73 years old and a declared Republican, is a great admirer of Putin, whom he has described as "one of the greatest world leaders," and has traveled to annexed Crimea, although the United States considers the peninsula Ukrainian territory.
Trump's Plans Include Major U.S. Investment in Russia and Restoring Oil Flows to Europe
U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for peace in Ukraine includes proposals to restore Russian energy flows to Europe, a significant U.S. investment in Russian rare earths and energy sector, and tapping into frozen Russian sovereign assets, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper noted that the plans were detailed in annexes to peace proposals delivered to European counterparts in recent weeks.
Among them is a plan for U.S. financial firms and other companies to access $200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets to finance projects in Ukraine, including a large new data center powered by the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, currently controlled by Russian forces, according to the newspaper.
Kiev Discusses Security Guarantees with Europe Today After Responding to Trump's Plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration will hold new talks on Thursday with the so-called Volunteer Coalition -led by European partners of Kiev willing to contribute to its security after the war-, after providing a response late Wednesday to the peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict.
"For tomorrow," Zelensky said in his Wednesday night address to the nation, "we have prepared a meeting of the Volunteer Coalition, more than 30 countries are working with Ukraine to ensure security by land, sea, and air."
According to the American publication Axios, Ukraine responded on Wednesday to the 20-point peace proposal promoted by the Trump administration after revisions made in various meetings separately with their envoys with Ukrainians and Russians to an initial document containing 28 points and including several Kremlin's maximum demands.