Russia (week 2): weekly briefing
4 Nov – 11 Nov 2026
Top stories
- US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks resume in Abu Dhabi after nine months (NPR, 10 Nov) — Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators met in Abu Dhabi, the first such round since February, according to NPR. Expectations of a breakthrough were reported to be low, with Putin's maximalist territorial demands unchanged.
- Russian strikes leave hundreds of thousands without power in Ukraine (Al Jazeera, 8 Nov) — Ukraine's energy provider DTEK said over 600,000 people in Dnipropetrovsk region lost power after a Russian overnight attack. A further 250,000 were reported without electricity in Kharkiv region, and Russia's defence ministry said it would keep striking fuel and energy facilities.
- Death toll from Zaporizhzhia aid site strike rises to 53 (CBC News, 6 Nov) — The acting Zaporizhzhia governor said the toll from a Russian bombing of an aid distribution point had reached 53, making it one of the deadliest strikes on civilians this year. Russia's defence ministry said it struck facilities used for military purposes.
- Ukrainian strikes idle 15 of Russia's 38 major refineries, Kyiv says (United24 Media, 5 Nov) — Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Directorate said strikes had suspended 15 major Russian refineries as of late September and estimated more than $23.2 billion in damage. These figures are Ukrainian intelligence claims and have not been independently verified.
- US Army soldier arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of spying for Russia (BBC News, 10 Nov) — UK Counter Terrorism Policing said a 41-year-old senior US soldier was arrested under the National Security Act 2023 over alleged assistance to a foreign intelligence service. The soldier was reportedly based at a NATO corps headquarters, and the FBI said the investigation is continuing.
Trends
Diplomacy and fighting ran in parallel again this week. The Abu Dhabi talks, the first round since February according to NPR, opened as Russian strikes hit Ukraine's energy grid, and Kyiv's officials said Moscow was seeking leverage at the table. This continues the escalation noted in the last briefing. The Zaporizhzhia aid-site strike, which the acting governor says killed 53, came in the same week as a US-brokered six-day pause in Oleshky, which the previous briefing called localised; its relief remains confined to that city. Ukrainian refinery strikes, which Kyiv's intelligence presents as sharply cutting Russian output, form the mirror image of the energy campaign. The UK arrest of a US soldier stands apart, though it raises Russia-linked security concerns.
What it means (opinion)
Opinion on the site: The Abu Dhabi round is the most consequential development, but the reporting gives little reason to expect a breakthrough. NPR describes Russia's demands for the remaining Donbas as unchanged, and Ukraine still rejects them, while both sides continue striking energy infrastructure. Next week's most concrete test is whether the reported prisoner exchange is confirmed by both governments, since it is the only tangible outcome so far and rests on a single outlet's report. Watch also whether the US push for a wider European security framework draws in the UK, Germany, France and Italy, who attended without taking part directly. Refinery figures come from Ukrainian intelligence and should be read as one side's assessment.
AI-assisted summary of public reporting; the analysis is opinion. Sources are linked above.