In a significant diplomatic push, a high-level Ukrainian delegation is travelling to the United States for renewed peace talks, aiming to find a path to end the ongoing war. The move comes as dramatic footage emerged showing Ukrainian naval drones successfully striking Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, highlighting the continued intensity of the conflict even as diplomacy takes centre stage.
Diplomatic Push for a Dignified End to the War
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a delegation led by national security chief Rustem Umerov is en route to the US with the objective to, in his words, "swiftly and substantively work out the steps needed to end the war." The talks, scheduled for Saturday 29 November 2025, will see the Ukrainian team greeted by a prominent American group. This includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the former US president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
This diplomatic engagement follows the release of a 28-point proposal from former President Donald Trump last week, a plan widely perceived as heavily favouring Russia by proposing to hand over swathes of Ukrainian territory and limit the size of Kyiv's military. President Trump stated on Tuesday that his plan had since been "fine-tuned." In response, Mr Zelenskyy noted that "the American side is demonstrating a constructive approach," expressing hope that the coming days could flesh out steps to bring the war to a "dignified end."
Adding a layer of complexity to the negotiations, the Ukrainian team will be without Mr Zelenskyy's former chief of staff and lead negotiator, Andrii Yermak, who resigned on Friday after officials raided his home amid a corruption scandal.
Ukraine's Naval Drone Campaign Intensifies
While diplomats prepared to talk, Ukraine's security service (SBU) and its navy executed a bold operation against Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers. On Saturday, footage was released showing Ukrainian naval drones hitting two of these vessels in the Black Sea.
An official told Reuters that both the Kairos and the Virat tankers "sustained critical damage" in the attacks, taking them out of service. These ships, which were under sanctions, were heading to a Russian port to load oil destined for foreign markets, a key revenue stream for Russia's war effort.
The 274-metre-long Kairos suffered an explosion and caught fire while en route from Egypt to Russia, leading to the evacuation of its crew. The Virat was struck approximately 35 nautical miles offshore by unmanned vessels, sustaining minor damage to its starboard side.
In a separate but related attack, Ukrainian special forces also targeted an oil terminal near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Saturday. Andriy Kovalenko from Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council reported that naval drones managed to destroy one of the three oil tanker berths belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, significantly hampering operations.
Relentless Aerial Assaults on Ukraine
The backdrop to these events is another severe aerial onslaught by Russia on Ukrainian territory. Overnight into Saturday, Russia launched 36 cruise and ballistic missiles and approximately 600 drones at targets across Ukraine.
The attacks proved deadly, with officials confirming six fatalities: three in and around the capital Kyiv, two in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and one in the Kherson region during a midday strike. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a further 29 people were injured in the capital, largely due to falling debris from intercepted drones hitting buildings.
This familiar Russian tactic of targeting energy infrastructure also left hundreds of thousands without power in Kyiv, in what Ukrainian officials describe as the "weaponising" of the cold winter. Power supplies have since been restored, but the assault underscores the immense pressure Ukraine faces on the home front as it seeks a diplomatic solution abroad.
