Russia launches overnight missile and drone strikes on Kyiv

Russia launched a massive overnight strike on Kyiv and surrounding regions, firing 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones at Ukraine, according to The Times of India. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said all 36 missiles were directed at Kyiv and the surrounding region, with energy facilities bearing the brunt of the attacks.

Strike details

• At least five people were injured in Kyiv, where Russian missiles damaged residential and commercial buildings, forced the closure of a bridge over the Dnipro River and caused fresh power and water outages, France 24 reported.
• The strikes damaged residential buildings, the Northern Bridge and a kindergarten, while disrupting electricity, water and heating supplies in the capital, The Times of India reported.
• Twelve regions, apart from Kyiv, came under attack, leaving nine people injured, including a child, Zelenskyy said.
• A substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine was hit in the Kyiv region. Other substations were damaged in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro.

Russia's account

Russia's defence ministry said strikes hit the Northern Bridge, which it said was being used to transport weapons, military equipment and vehicles for the Ukrainian armed forces, and the Meridian plant, which Russia says produces Flamingo cruise missiles, according to anews.

The ministry also said the strikes damaged several energy and industrial facilities in the Kyiv region, including a power plant, an electricity substation and a munitions manufacturing facility. It added that Russian forces struck an electricity substation in the Zhytomyr region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea that it said was transporting military equipment and dual-use goods to Ukraine.

Planned talks

The meeting is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be the first trilateral engagement of its kind since February, The Times of India reported. The Russian delegation will again be led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky and include deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will join the negotiations for the first time, along with senior General Staff officer Yuri Zhigarlovsky. Deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov are also expected to participate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met the delegation at a security council meeting on Friday to discuss preparations for the talks. He thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the negotiations.

Why it matters

The strikes hit energy infrastructure just days before planned US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine's critical infrastructure, and called on the United States to increase bilateral support and maintain Ukraine among its policy priorities.

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Sources

• france24.com: Russia launches massive strike on Kyiv - France 24
• timesofindia.indiatimes.com: '36 missiles, 172 drones': Russia to join US-Ukraine talks after massive overnight strikes on Kyiv energy sites - The Times of India
• anews.com.tr: Russia says it hit targets in and around Kyiv in massive overnight strike - anews
• newsukraine.rbc.ua: Russia launches drones and ballistic missiles at Ukraine, Kyiv region is the main target | RBC-Ukraine
• inkorr.com: Russia strikes Kyiv region with 172 drones and 36 missiles: 9 injured
• samaa.tv: Ukraine school bombing toll rises to 37; Russia launches massive strikes | SAMAA TV

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.