Ukraine Warupdated 1h ago3 min read
MapRussia Strikes Kyiv, Kherson Ahead of Abu Dhabi Talks, Damaging Northern Bridge and Power
“people having ‘about two to three hours of electricity per day, no heating, and daily water outage’.”
“Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the strikes on the Northern Bridge, adding that the Ukrainian capital found itself in an ‘extremely difficult’ situation regarding power, heating and water supplies.”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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Missiles and drones struck Kyiv and surrounding areas, injuring people and damaging energy infrastructure. Northern Bridge and key facilities, including Meridian Plant, were hit, causing power and water outages.
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Strikes Before Abu Dhabi
Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight drone and missile strikes ahead of Abu Dhabi talks, with Russian shelling hitting Kyiv and the Kherson region and leaving 12 injuries and damage to homes and infrastructure, according to Al-Jazeera Net. The Russian Defense Ministry announced it downed 411 Ukrainian drones overnight in various parts of the country, while Ukrainian authorities said Russian missiles damaged homes and commercial facilities and led to the closure of one bridge over the Dnieper River. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Northern Bridge was damaged in an enemy attack and that experts were assessing the extent of the damage, and he also said power facilities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions were damaged, leaving the energy supply situation in the capital extremely difficult.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew attention to “intelligence information” that Russia is preparing to strike civilian infrastructure, power facilities, and bridges, as rescue operations continued in the village of Komyshuvakha after guided Russian bombs hit a building used as a school and a nearby shelter. The Al-Jazeera Net account said dozens remained missing in Komyshuvakha and that the death toll reached 55, with two bodies recovered early Saturday from the attack on the building later used as a distribution center for aid.
Kyiv’s Power, Bridge Damage
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Kyiv faced serious power supply problems after a Russian missile strike, and he added that a power outage affected heating and central water supplies, according to Bawābat al-Shuruq. Bawābat al-Shuruq reported that Klitschko said five people were injured in the Russian attack that targeted infrastructure around the capital and in the neighboring Getomyr region, and it said the attack damaged the so-called "Northern Bridge" which had to be temporarily closed. The Ukrainian army said its air defenses intercepted four ballistic missiles and 149 of 172 Russian unmanned combat aerial vehicles during the evening, while Russia’s Defense Ministry said it carried out the attack on the bridge because it is used to transfer Ukrainian military forces.
DW said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the strikes on the Northern Bridge and described an "extremely difficult" situation for power, heating and water supplies in the city. DW also reported that Zelensky said Russia used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles during the attack and that Russia was trying to "push Kyiv … and the entire country into a blackout".
Talks, Claims, and Fallout
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States were scheduled to meet next Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to conduct talks aimed at ending the war, and Al-Jazeera Net said this round would be the fourth sponsored by the administration of President Donald Trump. Al-Jazeera Net said Western governments backing the peace initiative were seeking a new formula to break the deadlock while acknowledging that issues relating to land and security remained unresolved, as both sides denied deliberately targeting civilians. France 24 said Russia carried out missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight Friday to Saturday, targeting energy infrastructure and killing at least one person while wounding eight, and it said the attacks damaged a major bridge across the Dnipro River.
France 24 quoted its Ukraine correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze saying people had “about two to three hours of electricity per day, no heating, and daily water outage,” and it said the strikes further worsened living conditions. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Zelensky wrote, “When Russia is trying to plunge Kyiv -- a city of millions -- and the entire country into a blackout, Ukraine must not be left alone,” as Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defense systems shot down 411 Ukrainian drones overnight.