Russia strikes Ukraine as talks with US to end war continue

Although Russia was involved in talks with the United States aimed at ending the war, it launched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine throughout the night, killing one person and injuring 23 people.

The mayor of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, said one person was killed and four injured after a “major enemy attack”, while the mayor of Kharkiv reported 19 people were injured during the sustained assault on the city.

Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are meeting in Abu Dhabi in the first trilateral talks since the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.

A source told the BBC that some progress had been made but the land issue was still unresolved.

Russia occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, including parts of the eastern Donbas region. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to cede large parts of its territory. Ukraine ruled it out.

As we enter the second day of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that three of the four injured people were hospitalized.

He added that the capital’s critical infrastructure was damaged and as a result, 6,000 buildings were left without heating.

While temperatures were below zero in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking after the attacks, said: “The main target of the Russians was the energy infrastructure.”

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 19 people were injured in the attacks early Saturday morning. A maternity hospital and a hostel for displaced people were damaged.