Putin launches ‘barbaric’ 370-drone attack on Ukraine during peace talks | World | News
Russian forces unleashed a massive aerial barrage of more than 370 attack drones and 21 missiles on Ukraine overnight, killing at least one civilian and wounding dozens while trilateral peace talks unfolded in Abu Dhabi. The assault, launched in the early hours of Saturday, targeted energy infrastructure across the country, leaving more than 1.2 million buildings without power and millions without heating as temperatures plunged to -13C in Kyiv.
Fires damaged residential areas, factories, and vehicles in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia, with emergency power cuts affecting up to 80% of Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the timing: “This barbaric attack once again proves that Putin’s place is not at Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, but in the dock of the special tribunal.”
In Kyiv, one person was killed and four wounded; in Kharkiv, 27 people were injured. Local authorities reported 60 residential buildings and 80 civilian vehicles damaged. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents able to leave the city to do so temporarily.
The strikes came hours after the conclusion of two days of unprecedented trilateral talks in the UAE between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States—the first such direct meeting involving Trump administration officials since the full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the discussions as “constructive,” covering military, economic issues, and the possibility of a ceasefire before a full deal.
All sides agreed to report back to their capitals, with the next round set for February 1 in Abu Dhabi.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joined Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. Russia sent military intelligence and army representatives.
Mr Zelensky noted an “understanding of the need for American monitoring and control of the process of ending the war and ensuring real security.” No agreement was reached on oversight of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, though power from it would be shared “on an equitable basis,” a US official said.
Territorial disputes remain the core obstacle. Moscow demands Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of the east it illegally annexed but has not fully captured, including the industrial Donbas region.
The attack has raised doubts about Russia’s commitment to negotiations, even as momentum builds toward potential leader-level talks.
