Russian barrage hits Kyiv ahead of peace talks

Russian forces hammered energy infrastructure around Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones overnight, straining Kyiv's power supply and heating systems as temperatures headed towards zero, officials said.

Three days before Russia and Ukraine are due to take part in US-brokered talks, explosions rocked Kyiv as Moscow unleashed waves of ballistic missiles, several of which hit and damaged the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Strikes on energy facilities outside Kyiv - including systems sending power from two nuclear plants to the city and Ukraine's central regions - caused serious damage, the energy ministry said, while at least two people were killed and around a dozen others wounded across Ukraine.

"The capital is facing serious difficulties with its electricity, water, and heat supplies," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X, adding that substations in five other regions were also hit.

He said Russia had launched 36 ballistic missiles, only four of which were intercepted, according to Ukraine's air force. It added that air defences had downed 149 out of 172 drones.

"Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine's critical infrastructure," Mr Zelensky said.

The attacks also follow recent US midterm elections that have raised hopes in Ukraine for stronger support against Russia's war from a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"We are counting on the US Congress to give more attention to Ukraine, because Russia keeps increasing the number of its attacks," Mr Zelensky added.

Moscow's defence ministry said it struck what it described as targets in Ukraine's military-industrial sector, as well as energy and transport infrastructure in and around Kyiv.

Ukraine also carried out drone and missile attacks on several Russian regions, causing minor damage but no casualties, Russian authorities said.

Two dead, dozens wounded across Ukraine

At least two people were killed and around a dozen others wounded across Ukraine in the overnight attacks, which also damaged homes, businesses and non-residential buildings, authorities said.

Moscow's defence ministry said it carried out a massive strike on what it described as targets in Ukraine's military-industrial sector, as well as energy and transport infrastructure in and around Kyiv.

Russia has stepped up air attacks on Ukraine as its ground offensive has largely stalled, pounding energy infrastructure in major cities with difficult-to-intercept missiles and drones more than 4-1/2 years into its full-scale invasion.

It has expanded its campaign in recent weeks to target Kyiv's bridges, snarling traffic in the city of more than 3 million people.

Ukrainian and Russian officials are due to take part in three-way talks in Abu Dhabi from Tuesday to Wednesday as part of a US-backed peace push that has so far yielded few results.

Russia's delegation for the first trilateral talks since February will include senior military officials and diplomats including Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia's Interfax news agency.

Russia's delegation, headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, will also include Yuri Zhigarlovsky, a senior General Staff officer, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, the report said.

The attacks also follow US midterm elections that have raised hopes in Ukraine for stronger support against Russia's war from a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"We are counting on the US Congress to give more attention to Ukraine, because Russia keeps increasing the number of its attacks," Mr Zelensky added.

Zelenskiy says more 'personnel changes' to come at SBU after corruption scandal

President Zelensky said today that there would be more "personnel decisions" at Ukraine's SBU domestic security service following recent dismissals over a corruption scandal that had stirred public anger.

In his evening address, Mr Zelensky called revelations by anti-corruption police that senior security and law enforcement officials were shielding a criminal ring "frankly shameful, absolutely unacceptable".

"There have already been dismissals in the Security Service of Ukraine because of this, and there will be other personnel decisions," he said.