Islamabad, 22 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Russia launched a series of ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, while Ukraine sent hundreds of drones towards Moscow overnight, as both sides continued their military operations despite renewed US efforts to end the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed hope that negotiations with Russia, the first since February, could take place in early November. Ukraine reported that Russia had fired at least 21 ballistic missiles in three waves, while Russia claimed that Ukraine had launched 630 drones towards Moscow during the night. Meanwhile, the two countries exchanged the bodies of fallen soldiers, with Russia handing over 252 bodies and Ukraine returning 25, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta. The exchanges came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. US envoy Steve Witkoff recently met Zelenskiy and European and NATO officials in Oslo, describing the diplomatic process as having gained some momentum. However, the Kremlin expressed reservations about the latest proposals. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that although the United States had identified new elements in the discussions, these did not fully satisfy Moscow. Russia said it was ready to resume US-mediated negotiations with Ukraine next month following a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Witkoff in St Petersburg. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the meeting was relatively brief, and the American envoy presented proposals developed in Oslo for Putin’s consideration. One source close to the Kremlin said the proposals reportedly included a scenario under which Ukraine would surrender the entire Donbas region to Russia in exchange for security guarantees from NATO. Moscow has repeatedly insisted that any settlement must include territorial concessions, restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities and a permanent commitment not to join military alliances. Ukraine, however, has rejected these conditions, describing them as unacceptable demands that would undermine its sovereignty and leave the country vulnerable to future attacks. Despite diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations, the continued missile and drone strikes underscore the significant obstacles facing attempts to secure a peaceful settlement to the conflict.