President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Saturday of trying to plunge Kyiv and the country into a blackout after a major overnight assault on energy infrastructure. Moscow deployed 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles in the latest aerial bombardment targeting the Ukrainian capital and surrounding regions.
The strikes hit electricity substations across five regions, including a facility connecting two nuclear power plants to Kyiv. The Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River closed on Saturday as repair crews worked to fix damaged road surfaces and power lines.
The bombardment left residents facing serious difficulties with electricity, water and heating supplies following day-long power cuts throughout the week. Ukrainian officials stated that the Kremlin aimed to freeze civilians into submission during the winter months, describing the strategy as a war crime.
Five people sustained injuries in the capital, including a 14-year-old girl. Zelenskyy said Moscow chose to pummel a city of millions with ballistic missiles while simultaneously preparing for upcoming diplomatic negotiations.
Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for talks aimed at ending the conflict. Zelenskyy appealed to the US Congress to increase bilateral support, stating that Ukraine must not be left alone in the face of relentless Russian attacks.
Ukrainian authorities expressed little confidence that the US-backed peace talks would yield concrete results. In an interview with CNN, Zelenskyy compared the latest blueprint set out by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to Yalta 2.0, referring to the 1945 summit that divided postwar Europe.
Kushner stated on social media that the discussions would involve a new security framework for Europe alongside guarantees for Ukraine, addressing the Kremlin’s longstanding demand to reverse NATO expansion. Zelenskyy and his European partners voiced deep scepticism regarding the proposal.
Zelenskyy told CNN that discussing European-Russian security infrastructure is not simple and can be dangerous. He emphasised that Ukraine does not want to be divided by Russia, insisting that Moscow must end its war first and provide meaningful security guarantees before wider security architecture is considered.
Western diplomats warned that agreeing to Russian demands would effectively end NATO. The Russian defence ministry confirmed that its early Saturday strikes targeted energy and transport facilities.
Moscow has stepped up air attacks on Ukrainian cities since the summer as frontline progress has stalled. According to Kyiv, Russia lost 54,000 troops killed or injured last month, marking the highest monthly casualty toll of the war.
