Russia Launches Deadly Attacks Across Ukraine as Abu Dhabi Peace Talks Open

The update

Russian attacks killed at least nine people and injured 39 others across Ukraine over the past day, according to a report in the Kyiv Independent cited by The Guardian, hours before US-mediated talks opened in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Ukraine’s prime minister, Sergii Koretskyi, said Russia attacked 10 regions overnight, hitting five energy substations, including in Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile overnight, the Associated Press reported. Russia’s defence ministry said it shot down 155 Ukrainian drones overnight. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of intensifying strikes to put pressure on Kyiv at the talks.

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Why it matters

The three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States are the first such session since February, focused on security guarantees for a lasting end to the war. Strikes on energy substations as negotiators meet show the distance between the diplomacy in Abu Dhabi and the war on the ground, where the sides remain far apart on territory.

What to watch

The talks run for two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. Watch for any agreed de-escalation steps, statements from the delegations after the first trilateral sessions, and whether strikes continue while the meetings are under way.

Sources

• theguardian.com — confirms overnight attacks on 10 regions, five energy substations hit, and at least nine people killed and 39 injured
• npr.org — confirms the talks opened in Abu Dhabi and Russia launched 162 drones and a ballistic missile overnight, per Ukraine’s air force

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