Russian strikes damage Ukraine power network ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

Russian overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing blackouts and disrupting water supplies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure

Twelve Ukrainian regions came under attack, with Kyiv hit hardest, Zelensky said. Nine people were hurt across the country, including one child, in a wave of more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones.

Zelensky wrote on Telegram that Moscow was preparing for the talks by launching attacks on Ukraine's "critical infrastructure".

"The situation in the capital is difficult, with disruptions to electricity, water, and heating supplies. Residential buildings, the North Bridge, and a kindergarten have been damaged," Zelensky said.

In the Kyiv region, strikes hit substations that connect the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine. Substations were also damaged in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city's water supply system is back to operating normally and that around 60% of the city's apartment buildings were connected to the heating system. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said there were power cuts in five regions but did not say how many homes were affected.

Talks and wider context

The attacks come before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to take part in trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week.

The latest attacks follow a White House meeting on Thursday where US First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations and called for a "more enduring" ceasefire in Ukraine following a truce last week in the southern region of Kherson. She thanked both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hundreds of residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky were able to evacuate during a six-day ceasefire, which both Moscow and Kyiv credited Trump with brokering.

Zelensky said Ukraine was counting on increased bilateral support from the United States. He wrote: "We are counting on unity between both parties on issues of security, support for Ukraine, condemnation of Russian aggression, and increased sanctions pressure on Putin."

Why it matters

The strikes damaged power infrastructure and caused blackouts as temperatures drop and winter snow arrives in parts of Ukraine, while diplomatic talks are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi next week.

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Sources

• dw.com: Israel: Eisenkot officially tasked with forming a government
• bbc.com: Ukraine's power network suffers further damage after fresh Russian strikes
• abcnews.com: Netanyahu challenger Eisenkot tasked with forming new Israeli government - ABC News
• aljazeera.com: Eisenkot open to Netanyahu joining Israel’s next government | Israel Election 2026 News | Al Jazeera
• timesofisrael.com: Eisenkot tasked with forming government, vows ‘creative and unconventional’ path to ‘emergency’ coalition | The Times of Israel

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