War

One thousand three hundred and seventy-fifth day. Ukraine continues to discuss Trump’s peace plan without the main negotiator, the fired Andriy Yermak. He himself was going to war

Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images Consequences of a massive Russian strike on Kyiv, November 29, 2025

Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters in our daily materials because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. What do you think about the peace plan proposed by the US? Is this encouragement of Russian aggression or an opportunity to end the almost four-year war? Should Ukraine agree to these terms before the situation gets worse—or reject and continue the war in the hope of achieving a stronger negotiating position in the future? The feedback form is at the end of this article. A review of the previous day can be read here .

World

A delegation of Ukrainian authorities flew to the United States to continue discussing Donald Trump’s plan to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to Bloomberg sources, the delegation from Kiev includes Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Kislitsa. On November 29 and 30 in Miami, Florida, they will hold consultations with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, his former adviser Jared Kushner.

The Economist journalist Oliver Carroll reported that the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, should also go to the United States, who will probably lead the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations to replace the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, who was fired the day before. Later he clarified that instead of Budanov, his deputy Vadim Skibitsky flew to Florida. Axios correspondent Barak Ravid added that the Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Andrey Gnatov, will also join the negotiations.

As a result, according to the decree of the President of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov became the new head of the delegation. The group of negotiators includes Budanov, Skibitsky, Kislitsa, and Gnatov. It also included Advisor to the Cabinet of the President of Ukraine Alexander Bevz, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleg Ivashchenko, Deputy Head of the SBU Alexander Poklad and First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Yevgeny Ostryansky. It is not specified which of them flew to the United States.

On the eve of the planned negotiations, searches took place in Kiev at the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andrey Ermak as part of an investigation into a high-profile case of corruption in the country's energy sector. Investigators did not bring any charges against Ermak, but a few hours later he submitted his resignation. Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree dismissing his closest ally and announced a “reboot of the presidential office.” “I am grateful to Andrey that the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track was always presented to him exactly as it should be. This has always been a patriotic position,” Zelensky said in an evening address to the nation.

The first comments of Andrei Ermak after his resignation were published by The New York Post. He wrote to the journalist Caitlin Doornbos who contacted him that he intended to go to war.

“I am going to the front line and am ready for any reprisals. I am an honest and decent person,” the publication quotes him as saying. “I was disgraced and my dignity was not protected, despite the fact that I have been in Kyiv since February 24, 2022.” Therefore, I don’t want to create problems for Zelensky: I’m going to the front. I am outraged by the dirt directed at me, and even more outraged by the lack of support from those who know the truth.”

Later, in a conversation with the Financial Times, Yermak said that he does not hold any grudge against Zelensky because of his dismissal. “He was my friend even before this work, and I will remember him after,” said the former head of the office of the President of Ukraine.

He also recalled the results of negotiations on Donald Trump’s peace plan, in which he took part. “The delegation under my leadership in Geneva, together with our American partners, ensured that the 28-point document no longer exists,” he said, meaning that the revised peace plan had now been reduced to 19 points, more acceptable to Kyiv.

“There are still some difficult points that need to be agreed upon, and I believe that this is possible,” he added. “In any case, the president, despite pressure, will not sign or approve anything that contradicts the interests of Ukraine.”

Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA On the night of November 29, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Kyiv. In total, they fired 36 cruise and ballistic missiles and 596 drones of various types into Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 19 missiles and 558 drones. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, hits were recorded in 22 locations and downed debris fell in 17 locations. In the photo: a residential building in Kyiv, damaged as a result of a Russian attack.

Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA Kyiv authorities reported that residential buildings in several districts of the capital were damaged during the Russian attack

Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images According to the latest data, two people died as a result of the attack. Another 37 were injured. 15 people were hospitalized. In the photo: a resident of Kyiv in his apartment after the shelling

Alina Smutko / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it launched a strike on Kyiv “in response to Ukrainian terrorist attacks on civilian targets on Russian territory.” In the photo: Kyiv residents wait out the Russian strike in the metro

Alina Smutko / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the target of the strike was enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and the energy facilities that support their operation. “All designated targets were hit,” the department’s press service said. In the photo: a child sleeps in the subway during the Russian attack on Kyiv, November 29, 2025

War through the eyes of Meduza readers

How we choose letters

Meduza's readers live in different countries and have different attitudes towards the war. We publish your letters to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to present all points of view, even if they do not coincide with the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Meduza code, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the murder of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.

August (Ukraine). At the beginning of the war, I heard: when they came to our home with war, we must defend our home! From the office windows I saw young guys running away from the shopping center along the main street of the city.
I mobilized myself, despite the fact that I was booked. Conscious choice. Although, like many, I saw the army only in films. Why did you mobilize? For freedom. Sound funny? Four years ago she was still there. Frankly speaking, the army was not as scary as I thought. Yes, and war too. Under the first shelling, I realized that the chances of killing one’s own were much higher than dying at the hands of the enemy. I will not hear the rocket that will kill me, I will not see the one who will fire the bullet that will kill me.
During three years of war, Ukraine has changed. I'm already an officer. Do I regret that I mobilized? Yes. Do I want to end this all? Yes. Under any conditions - YES. I'm tired. I don't see a way out.
I often hear: we are fighting for Ukraine! [Let us remember] about Kievan Rus: 882 AD. Ukraine was, is and will be - in one form or another. We are actually fighting for the existing regime. The existing regime has completely discredited itself. There is a gulf between the government and the people. There is no freedom of choice, there is no freedom of opinion, there is no freedom of belief, there is no freedom of language, there is no freedom of movement. We have become worse than our enemies. People are driven to death like cattle.
Now, when I see my replenishment, I think: when the prison in which you are a prisoner is attacked, you do not go to defend your cell, you will applaud the attackers.

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