Russian Strikes Devastate Ukraine as Kyiv Restores Power and U.S. Hosts Peace Talks

A series of Russian attacks across Ukraine killed six people and injured dozens, Ukrainian officials reported on Saturday, marking another escalation in Moscow’s ongoing assault on the country’s energy grid. The overnight strikes heavily targeted Kyiv, where emergency crews worked to restore electricity to more than 400,000 households after widespread blackouts.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack, saying that while global leaders discuss potential peace plans, Russia continues its “war plan” aimed at destruction. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that Russia launched around 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones, many aimed at crippling power infrastructure as winter approaches.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Services reported that two people were killed in Kyiv with 38 more injured. Additional casualties occurred in the surrounding region, the Dnipropetrovsk region in the southeast, and the southern Kherson region. Since 2022, Russia has regularly targeted Ukraine’s energy systems, but recent strikes have created some of the worst power shortages yet, leaving many Kyiv residents with only eight hours of electricity on the most difficult days. Streets are often dark, and generators now dominate the city’s soundscape as residents rely on alternative power sources.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private power provider, confirmed that electricity had been restored to hundreds of thousands of customers in the capital, though several regions remain affected. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed the overnight strikes were retaliation for what it described as Ukrainian “terrorist attacks.”

Amid the destruction, Ukrainian officials are heading to the United States to continue negotiations over a potential peace agreement. A delegation led by Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is expected to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner in Florida. Ukraine maintains that any peace deal must allow it to retain its current territory and preserve its right to join international alliances.

In neighboring Moldova, authorities reported that Russian drones once again entered its airspace, raising concerns over regional security as the conflict nears its fourth year.