On Oct. 21, Russian aircraft launched unexpectedly east of Moscow, and the following day drones hit Ukrainian cities, while the U.S. canceled President Trump’s planned talks with Vladimir Putin.
Russian aircraft launch near Moscow
According to the service, unusual Russian activity was observed on Oct. 21 at about 9 a.m. Fifteen aircraft—Il‑76MD, Il‑62MK, Il‑96‑400 VVIP, Tu‑214PU, and An‑148—launched near Moscow heading east. After roughly 30 minutes all aircraft returned to Moscow. “Given the types of aircraft involved, this activity may be related to evacuation drills or a simulation of command relocation in the event of a conflict,” the service said. It noted that such aircraft are normally used to transport high‑ranking personnel or carry out strategic logistics operations, making these flights unusual.
Drone strikes hit Ukrainian cities
At night and early morning on Oct. 22, Russia carried out a large drone assault on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. Fragments of long‑range Russian drones likely fell on civilian buildings. In the Kyiv region four people, including children, died. Authorities in Zaporizhzhia reported 13 injuries, though the number of victims may be higher. Thousands of homes lost electricity. Explosions were also heard in other cities. The Ministry of Energy said the night attacks targeted energy infrastructure nationwide. From the morning, a nationwide air‑alert is in effect after a MIG‑31K capable of carrying hypersonic “Kindzl” rockets launched from a Russian airport.
U.S. cancels talks with Moscow
On Oct. 21 the White House announced that a meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin would not take place in the near future. Earlier the U.S. president had said that further discussions would occur in Budapest in the coming weeks. White House officials said on Wednesday that Trump had decided to suspend preparations for the Budapest summit because he believed neither Russia nor Ukraine was ready for serious peace talks. Moscow’s Kremlin denied that Moscow was delaying the American president’s initiative on Ukraine.
