Russia reports 1,198 Ukrainian drones intercepted overnight

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight from Thursday into Friday, November 13, in a barrage reported across more than 15 Russian regions. Local authorities in Volgograd region said four people working in an industrial zone were killed.

The ministry’s figure is an official Russian account of the interceptions. The industrial zone is home to an oil refinery and a chemical factory, according to the regional authorities. A separate report said local officials in three Russian regions reported seven deaths and 17 injuries, including a 12-year-old, but did not provide a consolidated toll across all affected areas.

The large-scale attack came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner continued diplomatic efforts. They met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on November 12, after two days of discussions involving Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi. The envoys then traveled to Dublin to meet or brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was meeting European Union leaders.

The Abu Dhabi talks ended with an agreement on a prisoner exchange, according to one account; the number of prisoners was...