In brief
Russia mounted a massive strike on Ukraine’s power grid on Tuesday, using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, shutting down electricity across dozens of regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attacks, warning that the lack of power would worsen winter conditions, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Moscow to commit to a ceasefire before the U.N.‑brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10‑11.
Russia unleashed a large‑scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s power grid on Tuesday, striking the country’s energy infrastructure in waves and leaving electricity out for millions of people across dozens of regions ahead of the U.N.‑brokered peace talks slated for Abu Dhabi on November 10‑11. Reuters reports the attacks employed 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, and were targeted at key substations and power plants, crippling power supply in several eastern provinces.
United Nations and diplomatic sources say the strikes occurred less than two days after a brief humanitarian truce in Russia‑controlled Oleshky ended, raising concerns about the future of negotiations. Reuters also reports that the Russian defence ministry said up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed and 15 vehicles and an electronic‑warfare station were destroyed in the Komyshuvakha area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the attacks a war crime, noting at least 33 people had been killed when Russia twice bombed a school used as an aid distribution center in the village Komyshuvakha. He warned that the loss of power would create severe winter hardship for civilians.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at a Berlin press conference, urged Moscow to engage in serious negotiations on a ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement before the Abu Dhabi talks. Merz stated that “there must be a serious ceasefire and a follow‑up peace agreement” and that Europe must be part of the process.
In the same Reuters report, officials said Russia had set fire overnight to a major oil refinery in the Ukrainian city of Yaroslavl. That claim is only reported by Reuters and is not corroborated by the other sources.
