A large-scale overnight drone attack by Ukrainian forces has resulted in two deaths in Russia’s Smolensk region, according to Governor Vasily Anokhin. Anokhin reported on Wednesday that air defence forces successfully destroyed 37 drones, but debris struck a multi-storey residential building in the city of Yartsevo. The impact ignited a fire, necessitating an emergency response from the ministry, which rescued 10 residents from the immediate blaze. A temporary accommodation facility has been established for those displaced, with officials planning to inspect the structure before determining if it is safe for residents to return to their homes.
Simultaneously, the Leningrad region experienced a significant aerial assault. Calculations by the TASS news agency, based on data provided by Governor Alexander Drozdenko, indicate that the overnight attack on November 11 was the largest in the region since the beginning of 2026. Drozdenko stated that 150 drones were destroyed in the region. The strike caused a fire in the Ust-Luga port zone and left three workers injured, though officials noted there was no threat to their lives. This event follows a series of large-scale strikes earlier this year, including 145 drones intercepted on October 18, 144 on June 6, and 113 on November 9.
The Russian defence ministry reported that its own forces continued strikes against energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s defence industry and ships carrying military cargo. These operations included hits on a 330-kilovolt (kV) substation in Kryvyi Rih, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as 110 kV and 330 kV substations in the villages of Mayaki and Usatovo within the Odessa region. Additionally, the ministry claimed to have struck a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea southwest of Odessa that was reportedly carrying weapons and military equipment.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that their territory was also subjected to multiple Russian strikes. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported six injuries in the Zaporizhzhia district and one additional injury in the city of Kharkiv. These claims from both sides remain unverified. Meanwhile, a new round of US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine commenced on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, marking the latest attempt at diplomacy following previous sessions held earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
