In Kyiv, Ukraine, Russian strikes claimed the life of one individual and injured 31 others overnight leading into Saturday. This violence coincides with a second day of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, where representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are gathered in a bid to resolve Russia’s nearly four-year-long comprehensive invasion.
The head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, reported that Russian drone attacks in the Ukrainian capital resulted in one fatality and injured four people.
Meanwhile, in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, drone assaults inflicted injuries on 27 individuals, as confirmed by Oleh Syniehubov, the regional head of Kharkiv, on Saturday.
These assaults occurred just as diplomatic envoys were expected to convene in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, for their second day of discussions. Notably, this marks the first instance of officials from the Trump administration engaging with both nations as part of Washington’s efforts to bring an end to Moscow’s prolonged invasion.
The UAE’s foreign ministry expressed that these talks aim to “foster dialogue and seek political resolutions to the crisis.” The White House characterized the inaugural day of discussions on Friday as productive.
In response to the renewed attacks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for the continuing assault.
“Cynically, Putin ordered a brutal massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process,” Sybiha wrote on X. “His missiles hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table.”
There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days, from Switzerland to the Kremlin, even though serious obstacles remain between both sides.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday that a potential peace deal was “nearly ready,” certain sensitive sticking points – most notably those related to territorial issues – remain unresolved.
Just hours before the three-way talks began, Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks. The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.
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