Russia Hits Ukraine With 289 Drones and 17 Missiles

Russian forces launched 289 drones and 17 ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight, killing civilians, damaging critical infrastructure and forcing hundreds of patients to leave a medical facility, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and regional authorities said on Tuesday, November 3. The attacks followed the end of a six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region and came as diplomatic efforts sought to revive negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Authorities in Zaporizhzhia reported 29 people killed in a Russian attack on a village where residents had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance. Acting regional governor Mykhailo Semikin said two rescue workers and four police officers were among the victims.

Regional military administration chief Ivan Fedorov accused Russian forces of targeting civilians.

"striking people who had come to receive humanitarian aid" was Fedorov's description of the attack.

In Kharkiv, a Russian strike hit a medical facility, injuring 25 people and forcing approximately 200 patients to evacuate, according to regional administration chief Oleg Synegubov. The attack also damaged the building, windows and nearby vehicles.

Ukraine's military issued ballistic missile warnings for Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro and Sumy. Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha also reported damage to critical infrastructure in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown.

Russia's Defense Ministry acknowledged conducting a large-scale operation against Ukrainian infrastructure.

"massive strike" was the ministry's description of its attacks on energy facilities across Ukraine and port infrastructure in the Odesa region.

Poland activated its air defense systems to protect its airspace, particularly along the border with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian forces had destroyed nearly 500 drones approaching the capital region.

Zelenskyy condemned the attack on Zaporizhzhia, saying the violence undermined prospects for further humanitarian cooperation following the temporary truce.

"There was a moment when the next steps (after the Oleshky truce) could have shown that progress toward peace was possible," Zelenskyy said.

He argued that the renewed attacks demonstrated Moscow's unwillingness to pursue de-escalation.

"With these killings, Russia is sending an entirely opposite signal: Russia is counting on more killings. There must be a response to this."

US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Washington would facilitate another round of working-level negotiations between the two countries on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi.

"The United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, advancing President Trump's mission to end the war," Witkoff wrote on X.

The proposed meeting represents another diplomatic effort by US President Donald Trump to secure an agreement. Previous initiatives have failed to produce a breakthrough.

The latest escalation followed the expiration on Sunday night of a ceasefire covering parts of the Kherson region. The agreement, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, ran from October 27 to November 1 and enabled hundreds of residents from Russian-occupied Oleshky to evacuate.

Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners, Yana Lantratova and Dmytro Lubinets, supervised the humanitarian operation. Evacuees were transported toward Ukrainian-controlled territory, while other residents received assistance crossing into Russian-annexed Crimea.

Despite the humanitarian achievement, Ukraine's military accused Russian forces of using the pause to rotate troops, deliver ammunition and reinforce defensive positions.

Russia's presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended military regrouping during temporary suspensions of fighting.

"This is a completely normal practice in such situations." Peskov said.

He also suggested Ukrainian forces had used previous pauses for similar purposes. Peskov described the Oleshky operation as successful and highlighted cooperation between the two countries' human rights commissioners.

The Kremlin characterized the humanitarian operation as a limited arrangement rather than a model for future ceasefires.

"successful" was the Kremlin's assessment of the Oleshky humanitarian mission.

In describing the cooperation surrounding the evacuation, the Kremlin also praised the "good cooperation between all sides".

Peskov said Moscow had no immediate plans for comparable humanitarian missions elsewhere. Both Lantratova and Lubinets had expressed support for repeating the initiative in other locations.

"There are no similar plans or initiatives." Peskov reiterated.

Ukrainian officials nevertheless said Kyiv would be willing to consider broader ceasefire arrangements.

The temporary suspension of fighting also gave Kherson residents an unusual opportunity to return to public spaces without the constant threat of drone attacks. Russian forces had occupied the city for several months in 2022 before Ukrainian troops regained control.

Since 2024, Russian forces operating across the Dnipro River have used explosive-equipped first-person-view drones against people and vehicles in Kherson. Protective mesh tunnels cover roads, streets and buildings to reduce the danger.

During the ceasefire, residents returned to cafes, shops and public gathering places. Two 21-year-old friends, Olena Soboleva and Anna Herasimenko, described the temporary change in daily life.

"No drones, no explosions," Soboleva said.

She described the importance of being able to move around without fearing an imminent attack.

"No one wants to kill you."

Herasimenko also noticed how the streets had regained some of their former activity.

"The city seems alive," Herasimenko said.

She visited a salon during the pause and showed her newly painted burgundy nails.

"I did my nails," she said.

Herasimenko described the return of pedestrians and ordinary social activities across the city.

"The streets are full of people, just as they were in the past."

Another resident, Svitlana Vorobiova, a retired police officer, traveled from a safer city to visit Kherson with her children. She said her family remained connected to the city despite having relocated.

"I have a place in Kherson, and my parents are also here," Vorobiova said.

Her son had not visited his hometown for four years.

"I brought my son with me," Vorobiova said.

She described his emotional reaction upon returning.

"He hasn't been here in four years. He said, 'I cannot believe I'm in my hometown!'"

Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko, 66, also spent time walking through the city during the ceasefire. Russian troops arrested him during the occupation in early 2022, and he endured years of imprisonment before being released through a prisoner exchange last year.

"I walk around the city a lot these days," Mykolaienko said.

He explained that the opportunity to move freely through the city had made staying indoors difficult.

"I cannot sit still at home."

The ceasefire also enabled Mykolaienko to visit his father's grave in an area normally exposed to drone attacks.

"I could not hold myself back," he said.

He described the personal significance of the visit after years of separation from ordinary life.

"I was able to do exactly what I have long wanted to do — to talk to my father, pray, thank him for my life and to tell him what was happening to our city."

Oncology nurse Olena Yehorova also welcomed the temporary reduction in violence but remained cautious about the security situation.

"This truce has been such a relief," Yehorova said.

She described how residents experienced the temporary break from the fighting.

"The people in our city have been able to breathe. Of course, we still walk around with caution, because you cannot trust the Russians."

Beyond the humanitarian consequences, the ceasefire also exposed the political calculations surrounding the conflict. The BBC reported that Moscow and Kyiv both had reasons to maintain cooperation with Melania Trump, whose mediation helped secure the arrangement.

Russian state television commentator Artyom Sheynin questioned whether the initiative reflected humanitarian priorities or political considerations ahead of the US midterm elections.

"I totally get why our official representatives need to 'play along' with the US first lady on Oleshky," Sheynin said.

He suggested that the temporary agreement could be presented as a diplomatic achievement for the US president.

"I understand why it's so important to create a 'success story' ahead of the elections for the US president, whose wife 'achieved a ceasefire' in Oleshky."

Ukraine also continues to depend heavily on American military assistance, including intelligence support and Patriot air defense systems, as it prepares for another winter of fighting.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck energy facilities in four Russian regions. Residents in Samara reported explosions and thick smoke after an oil refinery was hit, marking its fifth reported attack in a month.

The Abu Dhabi negotiations scheduled for November 10–11 are expected to provide the next opportunity for direct diplomatic engagement between Russia and Ukraine.