Russia and Ukraine trade airstrikes as Brussels talks resume on reconstruction and security
· World · The Independent, AP News
Russia launched a heavy overnight aerial barrage on Ukraine Thursday, Kyiv responded with hundreds of drone strikes on Russian targets, and the Russian defense ministry reported shooting down nearly 500 drones. In Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian guided bomb strike on a former school and shelter Monday killed at least 42 people, with rescue teams searching for over 30 others believed trapped in the rubble. Post-war reconstruction talks resumed Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov discussed 2027 funding and security guarantees with U.S., UK, French, German and EU officials, alongside the World Bank and BlackRock. Separately, negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are set to meet in Abu Dhabi next week to pursue a deal ending the war, following a 90-minute call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Why it matters
The immediate exchange of airstrikes has deepened civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, while the Brussels and Abu Dhabi talks shape the future scale of reconstruction funding, security architecture and the trajectory of the war's endgame.
Read the original report — The Independent
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