Russia and Ukraine trade long-range strikes ahead of Abu Dhabi peace talks
Zelenskyy said repair work was underway after Russian strikes cut power to over 600,000 customers. (Image courtesy: X/@ZelenskyyUa)
New Delhi: A day before United States-brokered talks, Russia and Ukraine exchanged long-range strikes on Monday. Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries near St Petersburg. The escalation came ahead of trilateral negotiations scheduled to begin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The Russia’s defence ministry said its forces targeted four electrical substations in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 317 drones overnight, including 105 jet-powered drones.
The attacks left large parts of Ukraine struggling with electricity and heating shortages as winter approaches. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Sunday said more than 600,000 people in Dnipro and the surrounding region were without power. In the Zhytomyr region, 140 apartment buildings were left without heating.
Zelenskyy said Russia had launched 115 missiles, nearly 1,900 guided aerial bombs and more than 3,000 attack drones against Ukrainian cities over the past week. He called on European and G7 partners to coordinate sanctions against Russian entities involved in ballistic missile production.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the KINEF oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, triggering a fire, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko said on his Telegram channel. The facility is among Russia’s largest refineries and is located near St Petersburg, more than 1,200 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
Trump says Russia and Ukraine close to deal
The Abu Dhabi meeting will bring together Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives for two days of negotiations beginning Tuesday. Discussions are expected to focus on security guarantees for both countries.
The US president, Donald Trump, on Sunday, said in an interview with CBS’s ‘60 Minutes’ that Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to reaching a deal. He acknowledged the deep hostility between the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Zelenskyy. Trump also suggested that Ukraine could have a “little bit different shape” under a settlement but offered no further details.
Meanwhile, Moscow has opposed European participation in the trilateral discussions. Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the meeting would involve Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with Washington acting as mediator. However, the French foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said European representatives would also be present in the United Arab Emirates.
The previous talks in Geneva in February ended without any major progress. Russia and Ukraine continue to fight and remain firm on their demands ahead of the Abu Dhabi talks.
Zelenskyy speaks to Modi ahead talks
Amid the escalation, Zelenskyy and the prime minister, Narendra Modi, had a telephonic conversation on Monday. He briefed the Indian leader on diplomatic developments and preparations for the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was approaching the talks constructively and expected Russia to show the same willingness to de-escalate. He also discussed India’s potential role in efforts to end the conflict.
Food security was among the key issues raised during the conversation. Zelenskyy said India was ready to mediate efforts to establish food corridors through the Black Sea, where Russian restrictions have disrupted grain exports. He added that blocked maritime routes were affecting the global economy and food supplies.
Zelenskyy also spoke to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. He said the European Union had agreed to activate a special emergency assistance mechanism to speed up funding for repairs to Ukraine’s power grid. The two leaders also discussed additional energy and humanitarian assistance ahead of winter.
