November 13, 2026 Breaking: Envoys meet Putin as Russia strikes Kyiv, oil rebounds

November 13, 2026 (Japan time): Summary

🟢 On November 10-11, Ukraine, Russia and the United States held their first three-way talks since February in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov said the second day ended with agreement on a "large-scale" prisoner exchange. Kushner spoke of "some openings and some opportunities" but acknowledged that territory remains the hardest issue.

🟢 The envoys flew straight to Moscow, where Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev posted a video of their arrival with the words "Welcoming Steve and Jared to Moscow." They were then due in Dublin to brief President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was attending the European Political Community summit.

🟡 Zelensky also said Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink used by front-line units, is again under "systematic" speed restrictions that stop it working above 161 km/h. "Unfortunately, this is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine," he wrote.

🔵 Diplomacy and bombardment are running side by side. The calendar is unusually dense: renewed three-way talks, a same-day trip to Moscow, a gathering of European leaders in Dublin and a possible summit in Shenzhen. The coming week will test whether a deal before the new year is realistic.

Timeline (Japan time)

Ukrainian strikes on Russia

🟢 The Omsk refinery, owned by Gazprom, is Russia's largest, processing more than 21 million tonnes of crude a year and producing roughly one in every six liters of Russian gasoline and diesel. It was the third strike on the plant after attacks in July and October. Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said crews were sent to sites hit by "falling drone debris" but did not name the facilities.

🟡 The scale of the damage could not be confirmed at the time of writing. The outlet Astra reported a fire near the refinery, while local channels claimed airspace closures, mobile internet limits and blackouts, which the Kyiv Independent said it could not verify.

🟢 At Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast governor Aleksandr Drozdenko confirmed a fire and three injured workers, saying "none of the port employees sustained serious injuries." He claimed 150 drones were shot down. Ukraine's Security Service said it also struck the Buyan-M class missile boat Naro-Fominsk.

🔵 Reuters reports that Russian refining capacity has fallen by about 30 percent since late October. What Zelensky calls "long-range sanctions" squeezes both Moscow's oil income and its domestic fuel supply.

Russian strikes on Ukraine and civilian life

🟢 Of the 123 drones launched overnight on November 12, 73 were jet-powered. Air defenses downed 89 drones, including 51 jet-powered ones, with impacts recorded at 17 locations. Russia also used Iskander-M and North Korean-made ballistic missiles, S-400 systems as well as Zircon missiles.

🟢 In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported one person killed and eight injured (another tally says seven). In Solomianskyi district a nine-story building caught fire across several floors. In Odesa Oblast a market near Chornomorsk was hit, killing at least four people. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 15 people including a child were injured, and more than 160 settlements in Rivne Oblast lost power.

Casualties reported on November 12 (past day)

Zelensky and Kyiv

🟢 In Dublin, Zelensky spoke of a possible "window of opportunity" to end the war before 2027, while saying he remains skeptical. He questioned the direction of talks between Washington and Moscow, saying the real subject is "a new security model between Europe and Russia" and that "Putin's wars are actually only related to his attitude towards others."

🟢 He asked partners for Patriot and Nasams interceptors, F-16 ammunition and energy equipment for winter, and said Ukraine is "ready for co-production" of drones with Ireland, although Dublin called the talks early-stage.

🔵 The Starshield dispute follows an October clash between Zelensky and President Donald Trump over an American deal on Russian diesel. Ukraine's dependence on a foreign private network remains a weak point.

Putin, Moscow and Russia at home

🟡 According to Ushakov, the envoys backed extending a "humanitarian operation" modeled on Oleshky to Kostiantynivka, with journalists invited to see "who controls the city." He said the parameters of possibly the largest prisoner swap in history are being agreed, and that about 5,000 people from each side have returned in 35 swaps since 2025.

🟡 Ushakov also claimed Kyiv avoids peace because it would have to call elections, called a European troop deployment "a recipe for an endless war," and revived Russia's 2021 demands on Nato, adding that Moscow would bring new proposals.

🟢 Inside Russia, an air force colonel was killed around 7 a.m. Moscow time when his car exploded in Shushary near St. Petersburg; investigators opened a murder case. It was the second such blast in the area in under three months.

🔵 Fuel rationing spread to dozens of regions this summer, and mobile internet shutdowns have become what the Moscow Times calls "the new normal."

Russian pressure beyond Ukraine and Nato

🟢 Moldova's defense ministry said two Banderol missiles crossed its airspace on November 11. President Maia Sandu said "Russia's war keeps putting Moldovan lives at risk." Moldova is expelling a Russian embassy staffer after an explosive-laden drone crashed 100 meters from a home.

🟢 Ireland saw a week of hybrid attacks on media, schools and airlines before the summit, which required about 5,000 police officers. Hackers also defaced the website of Ukraine's state news agency Ukrinform.

🔵 French President Emmanuel Macron said American support for Ukraine is no longer there. Russia wants to widen talks into a redesign of European security, while Europe wants its own deterrent and a seat at the table first.

Diplomacy: American mediation and Trump's social media

🟢 Witkoff suggested Europe could join the next round. Who would represent the European Union remains open, with a decision hoped for at the November 13 leaders' meeting.

🟡 Ushakov said Trump sent "friendly greetings" to Zelensky. Trump met Dmitriev privately on November 5 and waived new Russia-related sanctions in October. No new Trump social media post on Ukraine or Russia from November 12 onward could be confirmed at the time of writing.

🟢 On Iran, security chief Mohsen Rezaei called reports of talks "a pure lie" and said Hormuz will stay closed until Tehran's conditions are met. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strait could reopen within two days if they are. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "there is no need for major combat operations," and Trump said Washington does not need a deal with Iran.

Oil prices and the economy

🟢 Brent rose $3.06 (3.3 percent) to $95.82 and West Texas Intermediate rose $2.21 (2.6 percent) to $88.74, per Reuters. Houthi attacks on Saudi energy sites, Iranian claims of four tankers hit near Hormuz and the Ust-Luga strike lifted prices, while higher Opec+ output and rising American inventories weighed.

🔵 The December West Texas Intermediate contract expires on November 20 (American time). Both benchmarks remain below $100, and prices move fast, so please re-check them at the time of publication.

Other topics

🟡 Ukraine says it captured its first Indonesian prisoner of war, a 49-year-old man promised construction work in Russia, according to the government project I Want to Live. The account has not been independently verified.

🟢 Ukraine's parliament passed a prosecution reform bill linked to European Union accession that anti-corruption experts criticized for leaving prosecutors in control of reform bodies.

Three things to watch

Main sources

・Al Jazeera: Iran denies talks with the United States

・Reuters via Aol: Oil settles $3 higher

・Tass: Putin aide on European security

・Kyiv Independent: Russian attacks kill 10, injure 40

・Kyiv Independent: Starshield restrictions return

・Kyiv Independent: Omsk refinery attack

・Kyiv Post: Zelensky questions new security model

・European Pravda: Missiles enter Moldovan airspace

・Rte: Five takeaways from the Dublin summit

・Cnn: Trump waives Russia-related sanctions