Putin meets Witkoff and Kushner; Kushner announces talks with Europeans next week

Civilian casualties of russian strikes on 12 November and the night into 13 November, as reported by the authorities and the State Emergency Service; the data are incomplete and may rise, the reports cover different periods and partly overlap, so they have not been added up:

• Rivne and Rivne region, night into 13.11 — 6 injured in the city, including two children (16 and 17), one in a serious condition; another man (46) in hospital after a strike on a company in the district; more than 40 people evacuated (regional governor Oleksandr Koval, police, State Emergency Service, via Suspilne)
• Kyiv (Shevchenkivskyi district), ≈05:00 on 13.11 — 3 injured, ≈30 evacuated, 7 people rescued; a downed drone set fire to a medical facility, the second floor partly destroyed (State Emergency Service, via the Kyiv Independent)
• Vinnytsia, night into 13.11 — 2 women injured; fire in a residential building, private houses, apartment blocks and a kindergarten damaged (mayor Serhii Morhunov, via Suspilne)
• Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr regions, 12.11 — 10 killed and 40 injured in all, by the Kyiv Independent’s count (the breakdown by region was not read)
• Sumy region (Seredyna-Buda community), 12.11 — two civilian men killed (Suspilne, headline 23:51 on 12.11; details not read)
• Khmelnytskyi, 12.11 — a child and an adult injured (Suspilne, headline 18:02 on 12.11; details not read)

Rivne, a regional capital in north-western Ukraine, night into 13 November. A drone hit an apartment block and set two flats on fire, according to regional governor Oleksandr Koval; the number of injured was revised between five and six, including two children (16 and 17), one person in a serious condition. At about 02:00 a private homestead in Rivne district was hit (a car destroyed, houses and a garage damaged), at about 04:00 a company (a 46-year-old man taken to hospital), and in Zdolbuniv a garage and cars burned. 42 residents were evacuated. The SBU is investigating under Article 438 of the Criminal Code (violation of the laws and customs of war). The authorities did not name the weapon.

Kyiv, ≈05:00 on 13 November. A downed drone set fire to a medical facility in Shevchenkivskyi district: 3 injured, ≈30 evacuated (the Kyiv Independent’s headline says “dozens”), 7 people rescued, the second floor partly destroyed. No named officials in the article; the figures come from the State Emergency Service. No deaths were reported.

175 clashes on 12 November — slightly more than the day before (167) and than the weekly average (165), according to Ukraine’s General Staff (as of 08:00 on 13.11). The hottest sector is Kostiantynivka (13 assaults) — the town where Putin proposes a “humanitarian mission”. russia carried out 67 air strikes (plus one missile strike) with 232 guided glide bombs, used 6,842 kamikaze drones and shelled Ukrainian positions and towns 2,227 times; the report does not say how many of those were by multiple rocket launchers. The named directions account for only 41 of the 175 assaults; the report does not break down the rest. Attacks by direction:

• Kostiantynivka — 13
• Pokrovsk — 11
• Huliaipole — 9
• Lyman — 4
• Sloviansk — 2
• South Slobozhanskyi and Kramatorsk — 1 each
• Kupiansk, Oleksandrivka, Orikhiv, Prydniprovskyi — no assaults

2,590 russian troops killed or seriously wounded on 12–13 November, according to Ukraine’s General Staff: a fifth more than a day earlier (2,150) and 28% above the 30-day average (2,021). Total ≈1,618,920 (≈1,616,330 as of 12.11). There is no independent confirmation; the figures are being updated:

• personnel — 2,590
• tanks — 1
• armoured vehicles — 11
• artillery systems — 44
• MLRS — 2
• air defence systems, aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles — 0
• operational-tactical drones — 1,160
• vehicles (incl. fuel tankers) — 469
• unmanned ground vehicles — 6
• special equipment — 6

unverifiedrussia’s MoD said in its report of 12.11 that it had hit Ukrainian forces in settlements across the sectors of six groupings and shot down 407 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones; it claimed no captured settlements. Ukraine’s General Staff does not confirm these figures; there is no independent verification.

117 attack drones overnight into 13 November — the fewest since 30.10 and 39% below the weekly average (190) — yet they hit 24 locations, the most since 9.11 (17 the night before). 63 were jet-powered Shaheds, the rest Gerberas and Parodiya decoys; the Air Force reported no missiles. As of 07:30, 80 (68%) were shot down or jammed, 39 of them jet-powered; the fate of the other 37 is not given — the attack was still under way. Debris of downed targets fell at 10 locations. Launch areas: Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Shatalovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Hvardiiske (Crimea).

Energy. The Energy Ministry said (Suspilne, 10:22 on 12.11) that nine regions had power cuts caused by russian attacks; by the evening of 12.11 no regional summary of damage and outages had been given. The materials read contain no new confirmed data on outages on the night into 13.11.

🛢️unverified📏 390 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Volgograd refinery (Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka, capacity 15 million tonnes a year) on the Volga in southern russia, night into 13 November. According to the Kyiv Independent (03:44 on 13.11), the monitoring channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+ and eyewitnesses recorded fire and explosions at the plant. Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed a “massive” attack on the city and fires in the southern industrial zone but did not name the facility. No one was killed or injured. Ukraine’s General Staff and the SBU did not comment in the materials read; nor did Lukoil. Bottom line: the russian authorities acknowledge the attack and the fires but do not name the refinery, and the extent of the damage is unknown — hence “partial”.

local authorities: indirectLocal authorities (Volgograd region governor Andrei Bocharov, 13.11 (night)): a massive attack on the city, fires in the southern industrial zone; the refinery not named

🔥unverified📏 75 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Rostov-on-Don, home to the headquarters of russia’s Southern Military District, night into 13 November. Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed a Ukrainian attack and fires at a production facility and a warehouse; debris from downed drones damaged a residential building. What these facilities are was not said; Ukraine’s General Staff and the SBU did not comment in the materials read. No casualties. Bottom line: the attack is acknowledged, the targets are not named — “partial”.

local authorities: indirectLocal authorities (Yury Slyusar, governor of the Rostov region, 13.11 (night)): a Ukrainian attack on Rostov-on-Don, a production facility and a warehouse on fire; debris damaged a residential building

✈️unverified📏 455 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈moscow, night into 13 November. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defence shot down more than 100 drones heading for the city between 21:34 and 02:08 (moscow time); emergency services went to sites where debris fell, and there is no information on damage or casualties. The aviation authority Rosaviatsia restricted flights at three airports in the region — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky. The Kyiv Independent did not verify Sobyanin’s statements (105 downed as of 01:32 on 13.11). How many drones were launched is unknown; Ukraine’s General Staff and the SBU did not comment.

local authorities: indirectLocal authorities (moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 13.11 (21:34–02:08 moscow time)): air defence shot down more than 100 drones heading for moscow; services are working at the sites where debris fell; no damage reported

🧭unverifiedMilitary commentator Popovych (according to a Suspilne headline, 23:09 on 12.11) explained why russia’s “humanitarian mission” in Kostiantynivka carries risks for the town’s defence. The text was not read; the arguments were not checked.

unverified UK MoD, IAEA and the monthly UN report (HRMMU/OHCHR): no new updates for 12–13.11 were looked for in this issue; the UN’s September report (15.10) remains the latest.

🤝Putin’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner in moscow, 12.11. According to Ushakov (Interfax via Suspilne), the envoys “actively supported” Putin’s proposal for a humanitarian mission in Kostiantynivka; the sides agreed to “immediately begin demining” and to invite journalists from Ukraine, Europe and the US. On prisoners, Ushakov said the terms of the exchange “are being agreed” and that it will be the largest; since 2025 there have been 35 exchanges, returning about 5,000 people to each side. Putin backed the American idea of a “common system of European security”; Ushakov: “The current system doesn’t work, that’s obvious to everyone.” Of the “coalition of the willing” Ushakov said: “But that is precisely a recipe for endless war.” According to russia, Putin and Trump will discuss a settlement at a bilateral meeting at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. There is no agreement on territory and no ceasefire.

The current system doesn't work, that's obvious to everyone.

🇮🇪Zelensky and the US envoys, Dublin, 12.11. The meeting took place in the evening at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, west of Dublin. Zelensky said that after talks with the US, russia had agreed to a prisoner exchange, which Witkoff and Kushner called the largest of the war; no number or date was given. Kushner called the meeting “productive” and said deals cannot be finished without Europeans at the table, and that in his view Putin is ready to try that format; security guarantees are one of the main topics. Witkoff: “The Europeans will be there at the next meeting” and “We are positive.” According to Suspilne, Kushner (in an interview with Rossiya-1’s Vesti, as relayed by TASS) said multilateral talks will take place next week; no date or format was given. The coalition of the willing will meet in Berlin next week (Kyiv Independent). Earlier, Zelensky met Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Dublin (Kyiv Independent), as well as European representatives.

⚖️Sanctions. Britain imposed new sanctions on russia’s oil sector and, according to Suspilne, became the first country to sanction all ten of russia’s largest oil producers (12.11, 18:18). Separately, according to a Suspilne headline (19:53), the EU may sanction 50 banks and 150 russian entities; no formal decision is mentioned.

🛡️unverifiedAir defence. Zelensky (according to a Suspilne headline, 20:46 on 12.11) said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is ready to help Ukraine with PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for its Patriot systems. Details (numbers, timing, where the missiles come from) were not read.

📰unverifiedAxios (search headlines; the articles were not opened): “Scoop: U.S. asks russia to propose new security agreement with Europe” (11.11) and “Zelensky says Musk-owned satellite system throttled again, Space X denies it” (12.11). Content and sources not checked.

🕊️ Ukraine, russia. No verified direct statements by Trump for 12–13.11 (with place, date and source) could be found: the search turned up only his earlier words (5 and 10 November, already in the issues for those dates). According to Ushakov, Trump and Putin plan a bilateral meeting at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, and Witkoff and Kushner were due to brief Trump on the moscow talks (Kyiv Independent).

Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy (Suspilne, 13.11; Ukrainian retelling, original not read): “We are positive”; the Europeans, he said, will be at the next meeting, with “several” countries involved. Jared Kushner called the meeting with Zelensky “productive” and said a deal cannot be finished without the Europeans.

We are positive.

No new statements on Ukraine by official Beijing in the day were found in the materials read.

🗣️unverifiedPutin’s foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov (Interfax via Suspilne, 12.11, ≈20:50 Kyiv time) said Putin’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner was productive and useful, and that the US “actively supported” the “humanitarian mission” in Kostiantynivka with immediate demining. On European forces in Ukraine he said: “But that is precisely a recipe for endless war.” Context: Kostiantynivka remains the hottest sector (13 assaults in a day, Ukraine’s General Staff); the General Staff has not reported losing the town, while Putin, according to the Kyiv Independent, claims russian troops control it.

🗣️No new statements by Peskov, Lavrov, Medvedev, Belousov or the other officials on the list about the war, the talks, Ukraine or the US for 12–13.11 were found in the materials read (apart from Ushakov and Putin above; Putin’s words on Kostiantynivka are given as retold).