Overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing blackouts and interrupting water supplies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He said 12 regions were struck, with the capital, Kyiv, suffering the heaviest damage.
Nine people were reported injured across the country, including one child, after the assault involving more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones. The strikes came just ahead of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week, which Ukrainian and Russian delegations are scheduled to attend.
Kyiv and several regions hit as temperatures fall
Zelensky wrote on Telegram that Moscow was preparing for the negotiations by targeting what he called Ukraine’s “critical infrastructure”. Temperatures are dropping, and some parts of the country have seen the first snow of the winter.
Also read: Russian strikes cut power in Ukraine as Kherson truce nears end
He described the situation in the capital as hard going, with electricity, water and heating all disrupted. Residential buildings, the North Bridge and a kindergarten were also damaged. In the Kyiv region, he said, strikes hit substations linking the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine.
Beyond the capital, Zelensky said substations had been damaged in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.
Officials give updates on water, heating and power cuts
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in his latest update that the city’s water supply system was working normally again. He added that around 60% of the city’s apartment buildings were connected to the heating network.
Energy minister Denys Shmyhal said power cuts had been recorded in five regions, but he did not specify how many homes had been affected.
Melania Trump’s ceasefire call and Oleshky evacuations
The attacks follow a Thursday meeting at the White House, where US First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations. She called for a “more enduring” ceasefire in Ukraine, after a truce last week in the southern region of Kherson.
She thanked both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, without referring to how the war began. The source notes that Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has caused thousands of civilian casualties and displaced millions.
Hundreds of residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, who were facing starvation and constant bombardment, were able to leave during a six-day ceasefire. Both Moscow and Kyiv credited Trump with brokering that pause. She said: “The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace.”
Kyiv seeks firmer American backing
Earlier this week, glide bombs hit an aid centre near Zaporizhzhia, killing several people. The death toll has risen to 55 as teams search deeper into the ruins.
In his Saturday Telegram post after the latest attacks, Zelensky said Ukraine was counting on increased bilateral support from the United States. He wrote: “The resolve and consistency of the United States in supporting Ukraine are of great importance in bringing peace closer.”
Separately, Zelensky’s spokesperson declined to comment on reports that the Ukrainian president may be invited to the UK for a state visit next year.
