Ukraine: Russia hits Kyiv with air strikes ahead of trilateral talks
Russia launched a massive overnight air assault on Kyiv and surrounding areas, striking key infrastructure and killing one person, just days before a fourth round of trilateral talks.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the strikes hit the Northern Bridge and the Meridian Plant. Moscow claims the bridge was used by the Ukrainian military to transport weapons and equipment, while the plant is used to produce Flamingo cruise missiles.
The attacks damaged several energy and industrial facilities in the Kyiv region, as well as an electricity substation in the neighboring Zhytomyr region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.
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. Overnight temperatures dropped to 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) in the city.
The Kyiv region's governor, Tymur Tkachenko, said energy facilities in three of its districts had been hit. Ukrainian authorities reported that one person was killed and eight were wounded in the overnight attack.
Russia was trying to "push Kyiv … and the entire country into a blackout" and repeated his call for increased support from the United States.
Strikes ahead of trilateral talks
The strikes come days before a fourth round of trilateral talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Previous rounds of US-brokered talks have failed to achieve any breakthroughs, with territorial and security questions remaining major points of contention.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said the war could be close to being settled and that he envisioned a "big, beautiful agreement" with Moscow that involves "all of Europe."
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities as its ground offensive has stalled. The material notes that Russia has stepped up air strikes on Ukraine in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and major cities, and more recently hitting bridges.
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