Russia pounds Ukraine's power grid as new rounds of peace talks resume in Abu Dhabi

Russia struck Ukraine's energy network as Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators met in Abu Dhabi. The attacks deepened pressure on talks already divided over territory, security guarantees and a ceasefire.

In Short

• Russia launched new strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure
• Attacks caused power outages in multiple regions and killed two in Vinnytsia
• Zelenskyy seeks European aid to support Ukraine's power system through winter

Russia launched a fresh wave of strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as Russian, Ukrainian and US officials began their first trilateral peace talks in months in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The overnight and morning attacks hit energy facilities across several Ukrainian regions, disrupting electricity supplies and killing at least two people. The strikes targeted substations and other infrastructure.

State grid operator Ukrenergo said Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in eight regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Kirovohrad. The attacks caused power outages in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv, the operator said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretskyi said Russian strikes hit substations in the Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions. Two people were killed in the Vinnytsia region, officials said.

The attacks also extended beyond energy infrastructure. Andriy Raikovych, governor of the central Kirovohrad region, said civilian facilities, including a major home improvement store, were struck. In Dnipropetrovsk, Russian forces launched more than 20 drone attacks against four districts overnight, according to regional officials.

The latest strikes are part of a broader Russian campaign that has increasingly focused on Ukraine's energy system and other economic infrastructure. Kyiv has struggled to intercept the growing number of missiles and drones, particularly fast-moving ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.

STRIKES CAST SHADOW OVER ABU DHABI TALKS

This comes as Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators gathered in Abu Dhabi for two days of talks aimed at finding a possible path towards ending the war. The meeting marks the first three-way talks between the three countries since February and is part of a renewed US push for a negotiated settlement.

US envoy Jared Kushner told delegates that recent discussions with Moscow and Kyiv had "really identified, narrowed the gaps", while saying Washington had "some good ideas" for overcoming the remaining differences.

"He really has asked us to put extra effort into trying to find a solution that hopefully ends the war but also leaves both sides in a much stronger position" to realise their full potential, Kushner said.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached, including after recent discussions with Russian officials. However, the gap between Moscow and Kyiv remains wide, particularly over territory and security guarantees.

Ukraine's chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said Kyiv's priority was securing guarantees that would prevent another conflict and establishing a lasting peace.

Russia, meanwhile, has pushed for negotiations on a wider European security framework before addressing the specifics of the war.

"The idea of defining clear parameters for a future security architecture, and only then moving on to resolving the actual Russia-Ukraine conflict, is absolutely reasonable," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

MOSCOW REJECTS IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE

Lavrov has also made clear that Moscow is not prepared to accept an immediate ceasefire without agreement on what would follow it. That position puts Russia at odds with European leaders who have argued that a ceasefire should come first.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that wider security discussions should follow a ceasefire in Ukraine. Lavrov rejected that approach, accusing European countries of seeking to give Ukraine time to regroup.

EUROPE PUSHES FOR A SEAT AT THE TABLE

European governments have also sought a greater role in the US-led peace process, arguing that any agreement involving European security cannot be negotiated without European participation. Before the main talks began, Ukrainian officials held separate meetings with European, NATO and EU representatives, as well as US envoys Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

France said a lasting settlement would require European involvement because the war directly affects the continent's security. Moscow, however, has signalled that it does not want European representatives involved in the main US-Russia-Ukraine meeting.

The talks are also taking place against the backdrop of continued fighting along the front. Russian forces still control roughly a fifth of Ukraine, while Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over territory, security guarantees and the future shape of Ukraine's relationship with Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for Kyiv to surrender territory captured or occupied by Russian forces. On Monday, Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine had strengthened its position ahead of the negotiations after recent battlefield developments.

"Ukrainian forces are currently genuinely strengthening Ukraine's negotiating position," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

He also claimed Russia was suffering "record losses" -- an assertion disputed by Moscow -- and called on Washington to pressure the Kremlin to end the war.

ZELENSKYY SEEKS SUPPORT AHEAD OF WINTER

As the diplomatic discussions began, Zelenskyy also highlighted the immediate challenge facing Ukraine's power system. In a statement posted on X, he said Ukrainian officials were working with European partners to secure practical assistance for cities and communities affected by Russian strikes.

He thanked von der Leyen and the European Commission for beginning to coordinate measures intended to help Ukraine withstand the winter.

"It is important to provide people with as many opportunities as possible to get through this winter," Zelenskyy said.

He added that the government was preparing logistical alternatives for Kyiv and other regional centres, while Ukraine's police, emergency services and other agencies worked to respond to the damage.

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