The Russia–Ukraine war shows no sign of de-escalation as Moscow launches a new wave of drone and missile attacks targeting key Ukrainian infrastructure.

According to Ukrainian officials, multiple regions including Chernihiv and Kharkiv were hit by kamikaze drone assaults, leaving significant damage to energy and transport networks. In Nizhyn, a barrage of drones struck a freight train and destroyed a section of railway, halting traffic to Kyiv and triggering widespread power outages.

In retaliation, Ukraine carried out artillery fire on Russia’s Belgorod region, killing at least three people and collapsing a social facility. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones, most over Belgorod — a frequent target in recent months.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of using oil tankers for espionage and sabotage in Europe. “These vessels are not only financing the war but conducting destabilizing operations,” Zelenskyy said, urging partners to take decisive action.

Moscow, meanwhile, continues to boast of battlefield success. President Vladimir Putin claimed Russian forces have “liberated nearly 5,000 square kilometers” this year — figures independent analysts dispute. Ukrainian intelligence counters that Russia has lost over 281,000 troops in the past eight months, with total casualties since 2022 surpassing one million.

As the war grinds on, hopes for peace continue to dim. Following the recent Putin–Trump Alaska Summit, momentum for a deal appears lost. U.S. President Donald Trump, who once vowed to end the conflict quickly, now admits that achieving peace in Ukraine is “a daunting task.”

With winter approaching, both Kyiv and Moscow are bracing for another wave of strikes and counterattacks — signaling that the world’s most destructive conflict in decades is far from over.