A new round of diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict resumed on Saturday, even as a major Russian aerial assault struck Ukrainian population centers, resulting in casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure.
The talks, being held in Abu Dhabi and involving representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, entered their second day. This trilateral format marks a significant, though fragile, step in international efforts to broker a settlement to the war, which is now in its fourth year.
The diplomatic proceedings were starkly overshadowed by military action. Overnight and into Saturday, Russian forces launched a coordinated barrage of missiles and drones targeting Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Local authorities reported that the attacks killed at least one person and left more than twenty others wounded.
Ukrainian officials condemned the timing of the assault, suggesting it was a deliberate signal from Moscow. The country’s foreign minister stated that the strikes cynically targeted not just civilians but the very prospect of peace, hitting “the negotiation table” figuratively as diplomats were meeting.
The bombardment inflicted severe damage on energy facilities, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis during a period of extreme winter cold. Officials in Kyiv reported that approximately 800,000 residents were left without electrical power following the attacks, which also disrupted heating for hundreds of residential buildings.
In a separate military update, Russia’s defense ministry announced its forces had secured control of a village in the Kharkiv region. It also claimed the overnight strikes successfully targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure and sites used for launching long-range drones.
The violence underscored the challenging context for the talks. Ukrainian leadership emphasized that the assault highlighted the urgent need for enhanced air defense capabilities, referencing recent discussions with American officials on the matter.
As negotiators convened behind closed doors in the Gulf, the stark contrast between diplomacy and devastation remained the defining feature of the conflict, with civilian areas once again bearing the brunt of the fighting.