Russia bombards Ukraine energy grid as Zelensky says he will hold talks with US
The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said talks with the US on ending the three-year war will take place next week.
Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a large-scale missile and drone bombardment overnight, officials said.
The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that talks with the US on ending the three-year war will take place next week.
Ukraine came under a “massive missile and drone” attack, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook.
At least 10 people, including a child, were wounded, authorities said.
“Russia is trying to hurt ordinary Ukrainians by striking energy and gas production facilities, without abandoning its goal of leaving us without light and heat, and causing the greatest harm to ordinary citizens,” Mr Halushchenko wrote.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid during the war.
The attacks have depleted electricity generation capacity and disrupted critical heating and water supplies.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of “weaponising winter” in an effort to erode civilian morale.
Mr Zelensky on Friday won the support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Ukraine’s proposals to take some first steps towards stopping the war, including a halt on firing missiles, drones and bombs at energy and other civilian infrastructure.
Mr Zelensky has also proposed ceasing combat operations in the Black Sea to allow safe shipping.
Mr Erdogan said that he also wants the shooting to stop without delay.
“We support the idea of an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of attacks in the air and at sea as a confidence-building measure between the parties,” he said in a video call with European leaders.
Mr Zelensky first suggested those initial steps in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, when he said that he was ready to work under US President Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” to get a lasting peace, and has put them to Ukraine’s European allies.
On Friday Mr Trump said he was “strongly considering” sanctions and tariffs on Russia in hopes of forcing a settlement to the war in Ukraine.
He said in a post on Truth Social that they could remain in place “until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED”.
The post came as Mr Trump faced criticism for increasing pressure on Ukraine to reach a deal while downplaying or even denying Russia’s responsibility for starting the war with its invasion three years ago.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” Mr Trump added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the energy supply is a legitimate target in the war, because it is “linked with Ukraine’s military industrial complex and weapons production”.
Russian air defences downed 39 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, DTEK, said that the overnight bombardment in the Odesa region was Russia’s sixth attack in the past two-and-a-half weeks on its facilities.
Russia fired 67 missiles from air, land and sea, and launched 194 strike and decoy drones, Ukraine’s air force said.
Their primary target was Ukraine’s natural gas extraction facilities, it said.
For the first time, Ukraine deployed French Mirage-2000 warplanes delivered a month ago to help repel the attack, according to the air force.
Ukraine also has western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to shoot down Russian missiles.
Ukrainian defences downed 34 missiles and 100 drones, the air force said, while up to 10 missiles didn’t reach their targets and 86 drones were lost from radars, presumably jammed by electronic warfare.
Western-supplied air defence systems are crucial for Ukraine’s fight, but further US help is uncertain under Mr Trump, who says he is determined to end the war and has paused American military aid for Kyiv as a way of pressuring Mr Zelensky to negotiate.
In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said on Thursday that he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with the country’s crown prince, and his team would stay on to hold talks with US officials.
Mr Zelensky welcomed a European Union plan to bolster the continent’s defences.
He expressed hope that some of the new spending could be used to strengthen Ukraine’s own defence industry.
