Nov. 30 (UPI) — Top Ukrainian and American leaders are scheduled to meet late Sunday to renew talks about a plan to end the latest chapter in the decades-long battle between Russia and Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump‘s special envoy Steve Witkof are set to meet with a Ukrainian delegation to discuss details of the U.S. backed plan to bring the violence to an end.
Ukraine seeks international security guarantees as part of the agreement, as well as a ceasefire based on the existing frontlines, and has refused to cede any Ukrainian territory that is not already under Russian control.
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not appear set to offer any concessions, instead demanding that any military aggression will end “once Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy,” according to CNN.
Rubio met with the Ukrainian delegation in Geneva last week to discuss a 28-point plan to end the war, which included demands by Putin that Russia regain its standing on the international stage and that Ukraine be forbidden from joining NATO, a group to which it has long sought membership.
Ukraine said then that the plan was highly favorable to Russia, and that it required “additional work.” The plan ultimately fell by the wayside, prompting the need for the Sunday meeting between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations.
Russian officials have said they have received some details of the new plan, but have not disclosed them.
“This isn’t an official one, but we do have the document,” Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said. “We haven’t discussed it with anyone yet because the points in it require truly serious analysis and discussion.”
Trump suggested a Thanksgiving Day deadline for a deal to be signed, but later backed away from that, or any, timeline for the war to end.
“You know what the deadline is for me? When it’s over,” Trump said.
The negotiations are happening amidst Russian missile and drone attacks on key infrastructure in cities across Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Sunday that over the last week, Russia has launched at least 1,400 drone attacks, 1,100 guided aerial bomb strikes and carried out 66 missile attacks on Ukraine.
Ukraine has responded by targeting Russian energy and military infrastructure outposts, striking them with long-range drones and missiles. It also launched drone attacks over the weekend on two tankers shipping oil to Russia in the Black Sea.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on Tuesday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
Ukrainian Member of Parliament Lisa Yasko discusses the investigation of President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak over corruption accusations following his resignation.
Scotland-based rocket company Skyrora has secured a major boost in its latest funding round, thanks to a strategic investment from Ukrainian entrepreneur Max Polyakov. The new capital strengthens Skyrora’s central position in the UK’s plans to establish its own space launch capability.
Closing the UK Launch Gap
This investment marks a significant moment for both Skyrora and the UK space sector. While Britain has excelled in manufacturing and satellite operations, it has long lacked a homegrown launch capability. Now, with Skyrora’s infrastructure in Scotland and Polyakov’s global network of high-tech companies, that gap is beginning to close.
Skyrora’s Growing Launch Capabilities
Skyrora is headquartered in Glasgow and operates facilities across Europe. The company develops rockets that offer rapid and flexible access to orbit, a vital service for the expanding small satellite industry. Skyrora’s innovation-driven approach and focus on sustainability have already made it a leading force in building the UK’s modern launch ecosystem.
Beyond technical progress, Skyrora also stands out for its commitment to sustainability. The company’s proprietary Ecosene fuel, made from unrecyclable plastic waste, offers a cleaner alternative to conventional rocket propellants and embodies a circular economy approach to innovation. Most of Skyrora’s suppliers are also based locally, helping reduce emissions. Meanwhile, the company’s employees actively engage in STEM education across Scotland.
Historic Launch Licence
In August 2025, Skyrora achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first UK rocket manufacturer to receive a launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The licence allows the launch of the Skylark L, a suborbital rocket designed to test technologies for the company’s upcoming Skyrora XL orbital vehicle. This success followed years of intensive research, engine testing, and flight trials, including a 2022 launch from Iceland that showcased Skyrora’s cleaner, 3D-printed hybrid engine.
Sovereign Launch for the UK
Skyrora CEO Volodymyr Levykin described the licence as “a crucial step toward enabling sovereign launch capabilities for the UK.” The achievement also supports the National Space Strategy’s goals of turning Britain into a global hub for satellite launches, research, and data services. The Scottish Government hailed it as a “landmark moment” for the nation’s rapidly expanding space industry.
Backed by the European Space Agency’s Boost! Programme and the UK Space Agency’s LaunchUK initiative, Skyrora is preparing for its first orbital launch. According to experts, this milestone would restore Britain’s independent launch capability for the first time since the Black Arrow programme of the 1970s.
Polyakov’s Global Vision
Max Polyakov’s involvement brings not only funding but also a shared vision. He has long championed the idea that space technologies must address global challenges such as climate change and resource management. According to Polyakov, “There is a misconception that by investing in the space sector, we are ignoring significant issues on Earth. But we are no longer going to space just for the achievement: we are going there to seek climate solutions, and we must proactively minimise our impact.” His philosophy perfectly aligns with Skyrora’s mission to make space activity a driver of sustainability on Earth.
Max Polyakov
Max Polyakov, a Ukrainian-born entrepreneur and economist, is the founder of Noosphere Ventures, a US-based investment fund focused on space and advanced technologies. Through Noosphere, he has built a vertically integrated ecosystem that includes companies like EOS Data Analytics, Dragonfly Aerospace, and SETS.
Building a Global Space Network
Firefly Aerospace and EOS Data Analytics, both founded by Polyakov, have already gained international recognition, and for the Ukrainian entrepreneur, the partnership with Skyrora represents more than a business deal. As early internet pioneers built the foundations of the modern digital economy, today’s rocket manufacturers are constructing the orbital highways that will carry the next generation of innovation, from climate monitoring to global connectivity and data-driven services.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A Ukrainian attack on the aircraft manufacturer Beriev’s facility in Taganrog in southwestern Russia overnight appears to have knocked out a unique laser testbed aircraft, the A-60, and at least one more. While the most recent status of the A-60 program remains unclear, the attack once again underscores Ukraine’s ability to strike high-value Russian military aircraft on their airfields, a capability that has been bolstered through the addition of long-range cruise missiles, as well as an expanding inventory of attack drones, both large and small.
Videos posted to social media reveal the immediate aftermath of the attack, with a significant blaze illuminating the night sky. At least one video shows a burning aircraft, which appears to be the unique A-60, an aircraft based on a converted Il-76MD Candid transport. Its identity was subsequently confirmed by satellite imagery, which also revealed the destruction of another airframe, apparently a testbed associated with Russia’s new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform.
🇺🇦Ukrainian Armed Forces struck an experimental Russian A-60 aircraft — a laser weapon carrier — at the airfield in Taganrog during the night
During the project, only two prototypes of this experimental system were built in the USSR.
There are differing accounts of whether Ukraine used drones or cruise missiles to attack the factory airfield at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy in the Rostov region, a facility that has also been struck in the past. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, both Bars jet-powered long-range one-way attack drones and Neptune cruise missiles were employed. As you can read about here, Ukraine has been steadily increasing the range of the land-attack versions of the Neptune missile, which is derived from an anti-ship cruise missile. Meanwhile, the Bars is one of a growing series of Ukrainian munitions that blur the line between drones and traditional cruise missiles, and which also includes the Peklo ‘missile drone’.
Confirmed by Ukraine’s General Staff: the rare Russian A-60 airborne laser aircraft was likely destroyed in a strike on the Beriev plant in Taganrog. Also hit: drone factory “Molniya,” oil terminals in Novorossiysk, Tuapse refinery, and an S-400 launcher. pic.twitter.com/yaz74Y592k
The second A-60 test aircraft, the 1A2, appears to have been destroyed in the overnight attack on Taganrog. Beriev
The Russian Telegram news channel Astra confirmed that drone strikes had caused a fire at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, while eyewitness accounts from the area also point to at least one aircraft left burning on the flight line. The Fighterbomber account on Telegram, which is closely connected to the Russian military, also reported the destruction of the A-60.
Russian aviation-linked channel Fighterbomber confirms the A-60 laser lab aircraft was destroyed in the Taganrog strike. The plane reportedly hadn’t flown since 2016 and was claimed abandoned. About 50 drones and three missiles hit the airfield. While they claim no losses to… pic.twitter.com/NuZ9mzPFvl
Subsequent satellite imagery of the airfield confirms that, as well as the A-60, clearly identified by its signature tail-section hump, another aircraft was also destroyed. This may have been an A-100 AEW&C platform, or more likely, the A-100LL test aircraft related to the same program, evidenced by the rear-fuselage supports for the main radome, which is not fitted. Meanwhile, damage is also visible to buildings associated with the Beriev facility.
In addition to the A-60 flying laboratory, a regular Ilysuhin Il-76 transport plane was also destroyed as a result of Ukrainian strikes on the Taganrog Yuzhny Air Base last night.
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) November 25, 2025
FIRMS data confirms two separate fires in Taganrog after yesterday’s Ukrainian drone/missile attacks, one at the Beriev Aircraft Company and one, likely, at industrial interprise Natek-Neftekhimmash, manufacturing heating equipment. https://t.co/JPgO7NIdUZpic.twitter.com/gYf4QOvE15
The strike on Taganrog/Tsentralnyy was part of a wider series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets in Krasnodar Krai and the Rostov region overnight. Local officials and Telegram news channels reported that key military infrastructure was among the targets.
The governor of the Rostov region, Yury Slyusar, also confirmed an attack on Taganrog, but did not mention the specific target. According to Slyusar, Ukrainian attacks in the region damaged several homes, a warehouse, and an external gas pipeline. He also said three people were killed and eight people were injured in the attack.
Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, which is co-located with the Taganrog-Yuzhny military airfield, is the main facility of the Beriev Aircraft Company. While best known for its amphibious aircraft designs, Beriev is also responsible for converting special-purpose aircraft, among them the A-50 and A-100 AEW&C platforms and the A-60. Beriev also uses this facility to conduct deep maintenance of Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic missile carriers as well as Tu-142 Bear-F/J long-range maritime patrol aircraft. This also makes it a prime target for Ukraine.
The prototype A-100 airborne early warning and control aircraft. Rostec
As we have discussed in the past, the A-60 was originally developed by the Soviet Union starting in the mid-1970s as a way of combating high-altitude balloons. It was fitted with the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser gun, thus creating the Dreyf (Drift) system for combating aerostats.
The first experimental A-60 took to the air in 1981. The aircraft’s laser was housed in the cargo hold. On the fuselage spine, there was a large fairing covering a mirror system, which directed the laser ray onto the target. The laser had a range of 25 miles and was able to ‘shoot’ for a total of 50 seconds, at least according to the design specification; reportedly, the actual firing time was only 11 seconds.
An early study for the Dreyf airborne combat laser system. NPO Almaz
The targeting system consisted of a Ladoga radar with an upward-directed five-foot-diameter Cassegrain antenna fitted under a large bulbous fairing in the aircraft’s nose and a laser locator. A balloon could be detected and tracked from 31 to 44 miles.
The Ladoga radar for the A-60 aircraft in the museum of the Phazotron-NIIR company in Moscow. Piotr Butowski
During one test in 1984, the A-60 flying at an altitude of 32,800 feet damaged a balloon over the Volsk aerostat research center, 430 miles southeast of Moscow.
In 1988, the first A-60 was destroyed in an accidental fire at the Chkalovsky test airfield near Moscow. In 1991, tests commenced with the second experimental aircraft. After two years, however, the trials were suspended due to a lack of funding. By now, the threat from high-altitude balloons had also evaporated.
According to Piotr Butowski, a long-time Russian aerospace observer and TWZcontributor, Russia revived the A-60 project in late 2002, now with the plan to use the laser gun to ‘blind’ the infrared sensors of reconnaissance satellites.
The A-60 at Beriev’s Taganrog airfield in May 2021. Other aircraft in this photo are an Il-80 airborne command post, a Be-12 amphibian, and a Yak-40K business jet. Google Earth
Flight trials of the reworked second A-60 then resumed around 2006, with the official goal of the program being “to counteract infrared surveillance sensors on the ground, the sea, in the air, and in space.”
In late 2019, Russia’s deputy defense minister Alexsei Krivoruchko said that “work is underway on high-power lasers of various types. It is planned to put it on an airplane in the coming years.”
Dep def minister Alexei Krivoruchko said Krasnaya Zvezda on 28 Dec 2019, “work is underway on high-power lasers of various types. It is planned to put it on an airplane in the coming years”. It is not known whether the A-60 destroyed today was already fitted with a laser gun.
Since then, it’s unclear what, if any, progress the program made, and whether the A-60 that was hit during the attack overnight was actually equipped with a laser weapon.
It is likely that Ukraine was primarily attempting to target Russia’s prized A-50 and A-100 AEW&C aircraft.
These vital assets have already taken a beating during the war in Ukraine, with two examples shot down and another damaged by a drone strike. Russia’s radar plane problems have been exacerbated by difficulties in fielding the new-generation A-100 AEW&C platform, a situation that has led to a proposal to restart production of the A-50. As we have discussed in the past, the viability of relaunching production of these high-value aircraft is questionable, to say the least.
Again? Again! The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed another enemy A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft, worth $330 million.
“These aircraft can provide a unique ‘look-down’ air ‘picture’ that can extend deep into Ukrainian-controlled territory, depending on their patrol zone. From the outset, the A-50 was designed to detect low-level cruise missile attacks, and the same capability means it can potentially spot Ukrainian drone attacks, too, as well as low-flying fighter sorties. They also provide command and control and situational awareness for Russian fighters and air defense batteries. Ukrainian authorities also assess that Russia uses A-50s to help plan and execute its own cruise missile attacks.”
Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s, including a number of modernized A-50Us, in active service. As it stands, the best-case scenario puts seven of these aircraft in active service as of today.
Provided the other aircraft destroyed overnight was the A-100LL (or even an A-100), then the damage inflicted on the Russian radar plane fleet will have been even more significant. The A-100 program has already been hampered by sanctions and has yielded just one operational-standard aircraft so far. Losing the A-100LL, which has been used to prove the new systems for this aircraft, will likely have a significant effect on the progress of the program.
Aside from Taganrog/Tsentralnyy, overnight Ukrainian drone strikes also occurred in Novorossiysk, in Krasnodar Krai, according to reports from Russian officials and media.
Officials tell me Ukraine’s SBU and GUR and military special forces units attacked the port of Novorossiysk, the second largest oil export center in Russia and the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with drones overnight. They claim strikes on an oil terminal and Russian… pic.twitter.com/J0s4PMI7Ap
The governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, said that the region “was subjected to one of the longest and most massive attacks” since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He claimed that six people were injured and at least 20 homes were damaged in the attack.
The Russian news channel Astra reported that a drone struck a high-rise building close to a Russian military unit operating S-400 air defense systems. This was presumably the Kuban Red Banner Regiment military base, which came under a previous Ukrainian drone attack earlier this month.
A video posted to social media by a resident of Novorossiysk showed what appears to be a Russian air defense missile hitting a high-rise building in the city, after failing to intercept an incoming drone.
A video of the moment when a Ukrainian long-range OWA-UAV imapcted a multi-storey residential building in the city of Novorossiysk, southern Russia, tonight.
The drone likely fell off its course due to the work of Russian electronic warfare systems. pic.twitter.com/ZHoUSorV6E
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) November 24, 2025
Novorossiysk has repeatedly found itself in Ukraine’s sights, its value as a target being derived from its military status, as well as its use as a major transshipment point for oil. The port handles over two million barrels of oil per day, meaning that it’s responsible for roughly five percent of global maritime oil supplies. Meanwhile, the port is also now home to much of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, providing it with something of a safe haven, after its warships were essentially forced out of waters closer to Crimea following a concerted Ukrainian campaign waged against them.
In total, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces shot down 116 drones over the Black Sea and 76 over Krasnodar Krai overnight. These claims have not been independently verified.
Ukrainian strikes have repeatedly targeted Russian aircraft at their home bases deep inside the country, as well as in occupied Crimea. Most dramatically, Operation Spiderweb, the large-scale Ukrainian drone strike against airbases across Russia in June of this year, targeted Moscow’s fleet of strategic bombers. On that occasion, a reported 117 drones were launched against at least four airfields.
While the full results of the overnight attack on the airfield at Taganrog/Tsentralnyy remain unclear, it seems that, at the very least, Russia’s sole A-60 and another aircraft were put out of action. Since the status of the A-60 program remains mysterious, its long-term effect is hard to determine. The damage to the A-100 program will likely be a harder blow, especially in the short term. Regardless, the A-60 and the A-100LL were both unique assets, and their losses will be hard, if not impossible, for Russia to replace anytime soon.
Former Ukrainian officer Serhii Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of infrastructure.
Published On 20 Nov 202520 Nov 2025
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Italy’s top court has approved the extradition to Germany of a Ukrainian man suspected of coordinating the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe in 2022.
The suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov, 49, has denied being part of a cell of saboteurs accused of placing explosives on the underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea, severing much of Russia’s gas transfers to Europe and prompting supply shortages on the continent.
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After Italy originally blocked Kuznietsov’s extradition last month over an issue with a German arrest warrant, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation approved the transfer on Wednesday.
Kuznietsov “will therefore be surrendered to Germany within the next few days”, his lawyer Nicola Canestrini said.
The suspect, a former officer in the Ukrainian military, has denied any role in the attack and has fought attempts to transfer him to Germany since he was detained on a European arrest warrant in the Italian town of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his family, in August.
“However great the disappointment, I remain confident in an acquittal after the full trial in Germany,” Canestrini said in a statement.
Last month, a court in Poland ruled against handing over another Ukrainian suspect wanted by Germany in connection with the pipeline explosions and ordered his immediate release from detention.
Kuznietsov faces charges in Germany of collusion to cause an explosion, sabotage and destruction of important structures.
German prosecutors said he used forged identity documents to charter a yacht that departed from the German city of Rostock to carry out the attack near the Danish island of Bornholm on September 26, 2022.
According to extradition documents, prosecutors said Kuznietsov organised and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs containing 14kg to 27kg (31lb to 62lb) of explosives at a depth of 70 to 80 metres (230ft to 263ft).
The explosions damaged both the Nord Stream 1 and the Nord Stream 2 pipelines so severely that no gas could be transported through them. In total, four ruptures were discovered in the pipelines after the attack.
Kuznietsov says he was a member of the Ukrainian armed forces and in Ukraine at the time of the incident, a claim his defence team has said would give him “functional immunity” under international law.
Earlier this month, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sent a letter to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing concern about Kuznietsov’s extradition.
Al Jazeera
“The destruction of the pipelines dealt a significant blow to Russia’s war machine in its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine,” the MEPs wrote.
“From the standpoint of international law, actions undertaken in defence against such aggression, including the neutralisation of the enemy’s military infrastructure, fall within the lawful conduct of a just war,” they wrote.
“We, therefore, urge the Italian government to suspend any steps toward extradition until the guarantees of functional immunity and state responsibility are thoroughly and independently assessed,” they added.
Kuznietsov, who faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty by a German court, has been held in a high security jail in Italy since his arrest and at one point staged a hunger strike to protest against his prison conditions.
Russia’s key Black Sea oil port of Tuapse has suspended all fuel exports after Ukrainian drones struck its infrastructure on November 2, igniting a fire and damaging loading facilities. The attack also forced the nearby Rosneft-operated refinery to halt crude processing, according to industry sources and LSEG ship tracking data.
Tuapse is one of Russia’s major export hubs for refined oil products, including naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil. The port plays a crucial role in supplying markets such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Turkey. The refinery, capable of processing around 240,000 barrels of oil per day, exports most of its production.
Why It Matters
The suspension underscores Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to weaken Russia’s wartime economy by targeting energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory. These strikes not only disrupt export revenues but also stretch Russia’s military and logistical resources. For Moscow, losing Tuapse an export-oriented refinery on the Black Sea adds pressure to its already strained oil supply chain amid international sanctions and logistical bottlenecks.
The attack also signals Kyiv’s growing drone capabilities, with long-range operations increasingly aimed at strategic Russian energy sites. As the conflict nears its fourth year, energy infrastructure on both sides has become a critical front in the economic war underpinning the battlefield.
The regional administration in Tuapse confirmed the drone strike and subsequent fire but offered few details. State oil company Rosneft and Russia’s port agency did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
According to data reviewed by LSEG, three tankers were docked during the attack, loading naphtha, diesel, and fuel oil. All vessels were later moved offshore to anchor safely near the port. Before the incident, Tuapse had been expected to increase oil product exports in November.
Ukraine has not directly claimed responsibility for the specific attack but reiterated that its drone strikes aim to erode Russia’s capacity to finance its invasion through energy exports.
What’s Next
Repair timelines for the Tuapse refinery and port infrastructure remain unclear, but the temporary halt is expected to disrupt Russia’s short-term fuel exports and trading flows in the Black Sea region. The strike may prompt Moscow to bolster air defenses along its southern coast and diversify export routes to reduce vulnerability.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is expected to continue leveraging drone warfare to target high-value Russian infrastructure as part of its asymmetric strategy to offset Moscow’s battlefield advantages.
With information from an exclusive Reuters report.
