Russia launches 208 projectiles at Ukraine hours before high-stakes Abu Dhabi talks
Ukraine's president claims the overnight barrage is a tactic to weaken Kyiv's negotiating position, while Italian officials report a cyberattack linked to their pro-Ukraine stance.
By Amina Yusuf ·
Russia intensified its bombardment of Ukraine on Saturday night, launching a coordinated attack that left five regions without power just days before a critical diplomatic summit. Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that the timing is deliberate. He stated that Moscow is using the strikes to create pressure on Ukraine and its partners ahead of the meeting. The Ukrainian leader described the Russian approach to diplomacy as a form of aggression in its own right.
The energy ministry reported that the attack hit multiple energy facilities. The barrage consisted of 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy specified that the missiles included KN-23 models manufactured and supplied by North Korea. The strikes caused widespread blackouts and disrupted electricity transmission in Kyiv and the surrounding areas. These outages occurred as temperatures dropped, increasing the strain on the country's infrastructure.
The military escalation precedes a US-brokered trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi scheduled for next week. Ukrainian, Russian, and US officials are expected to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday. This will be the first such round of talks in months. The diplomatic track had stalled in February when Washington redirected its attention to the conflict with Iran.
Zelenskyy also used the briefing to request more support from Washington. He noted a shortage of interceptors for Patriot systems. He said the United States is in the best position to help fill that gap. The president urged the US to increase its aid to address the deficit in air defense capabilities.
The conflict also affected Italian political figures. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he was targeted by pro-Russian hackers on Saturday. He posted on X that his transparent backing for Ukraine made him a target. Tajani stated that his personal data was published on the dark web. The hackers were seeking further information about him and his family and were willing to pay for it. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the sale of confidential information on public officials a serious concern. Moscow has not commented on the incident.
French politics also weighed in on the war. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-left presidential candidate, spoke at a rally outside Paris. He outlined his party's foreign policy positions. Mélenchon, who may reach the second round of next year's election, argued against territorial concessions without consulting the affected populations. He said, “We cannot accept that one could consider a peace with territorial concessions in Ukraine without asking the populations concerned if they agree or not to be on one side or other of the border.”
On the ground, a Ukrainian drone struck a private home in Grayvoron, Russia’s Belgorod region. Local officials said one person died in the attack. The Russian defense ministry said its forces shot down 411 Ukrainian drones overnight. The intercepts occurred over 10 Russian regions, including Belgorod. Drones were also destroyed over Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. Russian media later reported that the Saratov Oil Refinery was hit and showed images of smoke rising over the city.
