A downed Russian drone started a fire at a medical facility in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district early on November 13, partially destroying its second floor, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. Three people were injured and 30 evacuated. Seven people in the facility were rescued by first responders.
The attack hit the Shevchenkivskyi district almost two days after trilateral peace talks concluded in Abu Dhabi. Across Ukraine on November 12, Russian strikes killed 10 people and wounded 40, while Russian forces targeted power grids, warehouses and agricultural sites in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr oblasts.
For months, Russian forces have increased attacks on Kyiv, leading to mass blackouts and power outages. Since the start of the heating season, Russia has frequently attacked energy and transportation infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on November 12 that Ukraine’s military was again experiencing significant disruptions to the Starshield satellite communications system, the militarised version of Starlink. Following briefings by Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi, Zelensky wrote on X that restrictions limit Starshield’s operating speed to 161 kilometres per hour. He said the restrictions make it significantly harder for Ukrainian forces to intercept Russian jet-powered drones, and that some Russian strikes had already succeeded because Ukrainian interceptor systems could not reach the necessary speed in time.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The attack on a medical facility shows the continued targeting of civilian infrastructure as the war enters the heating season.
- The Starshield limitations represent a critical gap in Ukraine's air defence, potentially allowing more drone strikes to get through.
- The timing after peace talks suggests diplomatic efforts have not yet reduced hostilities.
Background
Russia has intensified aerial attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities since the start of the heating season, frequently striking energy and transportation infrastructure and causing mass blackouts. The latest wave of attacks comes nearly two days after trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi concluded. Ukraine relies on Starshield for military communications and drone interception, but restrictions imposed by the system limit its effectiveness, according to President Zelensky.
What to Watch
- Whether Ukraine can secure adjustments to the Starshield speed cap.
- The scale of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as winter deepens.
- Any outcomes from the Abu Dhabi peace process that could affect the conflict.