Russian strikes cut power across Ukraine as talks loom
Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy sites left hundreds of thousands of homes without power, according to local authorities and energy providers. Power company DTEK said more than 600,000 residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region lost electricity after a night attack, while Zlatopil mayor Mykola Baksheyev reported nearly 250,000 customers without power in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's energy ministry said a larger attack the previous day darkened five regions and disrupted transmission in Kyiv. Zelensky accused Moscow of stepping up strikes to pressure Kyiv before US-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Russia's defence ministry said it struck military-industrial and energy targets in Kyiv and Zhytomyr.
Key facts
- Zelensky said 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones were fired at Ukraine in overnight strikes; only four missiles were intercepted.
- In the Zhytomyr region, 140 apartment buildings were left without heating after a Russian strike, according to Zelensky.
- The death toll from a Russian strike on an aid distribution centre in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, rose to 55 from 50.
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Why it matters
Widespread power losses come as Russia, Ukraine and the United States prepare for negotiations.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, Al Jazeera English, Hindustan Times, Africanews and Bangkok Post