The Democrats “speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped gains by Democrats in the US midterm elections would generate more help for Kyiv, as the war in Ukraine continued with both sides launching overnight strikes. A major oil refinery in the Russian city of Ryazan was struck in an apparent Ukrainian drone attack, while Russia said it targeted a power station and a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The liberal-leaning Democrats party trounced President Donald Trump’s Republicans at the ballot box in a vote that will change the dynamics for the last two years of the president’s term in office. Zelenskyy, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Trump, told Germany’s ZDF television on Wednesday he hoped the changes caused by Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress next year would be to Kyiv’s advantage. "I am also grateful to the Republicans, but the Democrats speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine and providing assistance to Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. "They speak about renewing the connection between the United States and Europe... Therefore, there is hope that a balance of power will emerge and that we will receive more support." Zelenskyy said more US aid could have an effect on Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If Congress now speaks of strong financial support or military assistance, as Europe is doing and demonstrating today, then that will be something positive that will have an impact on Putin," ZDF quoted him as saying. Talks with US envoys Zelenskyy has made considerable efforts to smooth over an uneven relationship with Trump, particularly after an Oval Office meeting in February 2025, when the Ukrainian president was accused of being "ungrateful" of US assistance. In recent weeks, Trump has made several moves favorable to Russia, including a deal to import Russian diesel and ease sanctions. But US-led trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia are due to resume next week after a gap of several months. US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that delegations would meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 to discuss ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation. Zelenskyy spoke to both Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – who also acts as an envoy – late on Wednesday, the president’s office said. “The negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible. Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps. Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side,” Zelenskyy said. The president arrived on Wednesday in Spain, where he will attend the Ibero-American summit for top-level meetings and talks on boosting Kyiv’s air defenses. Overnight attacks A key oil refinery in Ryazan, around 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow, was left in flames after an apparent drone attack overnight. The refinery accounts for nearly 5% of Russia’s throughput and has been attacked several times by Ukrainian drones in recent months. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack injured three people after hitting a private house and garages in Ukraine’s Dnipro, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said, adding that a critical infrastructure facility also caught fire. Russia’s defense ministry said its military hit a power station in the region, as well as a Nova Poshta logistics hub in Kharkiv region and a cargo vessel at sea 52 kilometers southwest from the Black Sea port of Odesa. Russian officials also said a Ukrainian drone attack killed three members of the same family, including a child, on Wednesday in the border-adjacent Belgorod region. This story includes reporting from Reuters
