Russia targets Ukraine with large drone and missile assault amid diplomatic talks

Russia unleashed a serious missile and drone barrage on Ukraine in a single day into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officers mentioned they’re going to meet on Saturday for a third day of talks aimed toward ending the almost 4-year-old struggle.

Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles within the wide-reaching assault, which triggered air raid alerts throughout the nation and got here as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the nation’s air drive mentioned Saturday morning.

Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air drive mentioned, including that 29 areas had been struck.

At the very least eight individuals had been wounded within the assaults, Ukrainian Minister of Inside Affairs Ihor Klymenko mentioned.

Amongst these, a minimum of three individuals had been wounded within the Kyiv area, in line with native officers. Drone sightings had been reported as far west as Ukraine’s Lviv area.

Russia carried out a “large missile-drone assault” on energy stations and different vitality infrastructure in a number of Ukrainian areas, Ukraine’s nationwide vitality operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant briefly misplaced all off-site energy in a single day, the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company mentioned Saturday, citing its Director Basic Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The plant is in an space underneath Russian management since early in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it surely wants dependable energy to chill its six shut-down reactors and spent gasoline, to keep away from any catastrophic nuclear incidents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that vitality amenities had been the principle targets of the assaults, additionally noting {that a} drone strike had “burned down” the prepare station within the metropolis of Fastiv, situated within the Kyiv area.

Russia’s Ministry of Protection mentioned its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory in a single day into Saturday.

Russian Telegram information channel Astra mentioned Ukraine struck Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery, sharing footage showing to point out a fireplace breaking out and plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The Related Press couldn’t independently confirm the video.

Ukraine didn’t instantly touch upon the alleged assault. Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov mentioned a residential constructing had been broken in a drone assault and that drone particles had fallen on the grounds of an “industrial facility,” however didn’t point out the refinery.

Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export income it must pursue the struggle. In the meantime, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is making an attempt to cripple the Ukrainian energy grid and deny civilians entry to warmth, mild and working water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officers name “weaponizing” the chilly.

The newest spherical of assaults got here as President Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian officers met for a 3rd day of talks on Saturday, after making progress on discovering settlement on a safety framework for postwar Ukraine.

Following Friday’s talks, the 2 sides additionally supplied the sober evaluation that any “actual progress towards any settlement” in the end will rely “on Russia’s readiness to point out critical dedication to long-term peace.”

The assertion from U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in addition to Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov got here after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday. They supplied solely broad brushstrokes concerning the progress they are saying has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to conform to a U.S.-mediated proposal to finish almost 4 years of struggle.

Ukrainian officers plan to transient Zelenskyy Monday on what transpired within the U.S. discussions this week, a Ukrainian official informed CBS Information Saturday evening. A senior U.S. official informed CBS Information that talks would proceed Sunday, however a Ukrainian official mentioned any contact wound should be on-line because of the Monday transient.