Kremlin: Abu Dhabi talks between Russia, Ukraine and US are all about security

The first trilateral sit-down between Russia, Ukraine and the United States has a narrow brief: security. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that the opening round in Abu Dhabi will zero in on security issues, "ensuring security, and guaranteeing the security of the parties." Everything else, he added, gets hashed out behind closed doors. The clock is already running. The talks are booked for November 10 and 11 in the Emirati capital, and Peskov said the makeup of Russia's delegation will be announced in a "timely" manner. He also poured cold water on any expectation of a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump, telling reporters there are no plans for one right now. Diplomacy aside, the drones are still flying. Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday its forces intercepted 709 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, listing interceptions over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Tula, Ryazan, Oryol, Voronezh, Saratov, Samara, Rostov, Krasnodar, Moscow, Crimea, Adygea and the Azov and Black Seas.

On the other side of the ledger, Ukraine's Air Force said it downed 272 of the 310 Russian drones launched between 6:00 pm local time Tuesday and 8:00 am Wednesday. The barrage included Shahed, Gerbera and Parodiya types, with hits reported over 19 locations and debris turning up at 15. The strikes are biting into daily life. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday he has ordered teams and agencies to speed up repairs and power restoration after Russia's latest airstrikes, noting that repeated attacks and constant air raid alerts are dragging the work out. He said equipment reserves have been stockpiled and that Kyiv is working with partners to refill them. In Brussels, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas weighed in on the US midterm results, according to Breaking The News, saying voters "made their choice clear." With Democrats taking majorities in both the Senate and the House, she said she hopes the new Congress keeps backing Ukraine and leans harder on Russia.

What happens next: the world gets a clearer picture of who walks into the Abu Dhabi room once Moscow reveals its delegation, and all eyes stay on whether the security-first framing produces anything more than closed-door talk.