Russia and Ukraine exchange airstrikes as Brussels talks on reconstruction resume

Russia and Ukraine exchanged damaging airstrikes Thursday as talks resumed in Brussels on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and security guarantees, nearly five years after Moscow's full-scale invasion began. Ukraine's air defenses shot down or suppressed 105 of 128 Russian attack drones, wounding four people, while Russia reported downing 496 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions, including a major strike on Ryazan that damaged an oil refinery. Rescue teams in Komyshuvakha continued searching for over 30 people trapped after a Monday strike killed 42. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov met with U.S., UK, French, German, EU, NATO, World Bank and BlackRock officials, ahead of planned Russia-Ukraine-U.S. talks in Abu Dhabi. President Zelenskyy held a 90-minute call with U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying Ukraine is ready to take necessary steps to end the war.