Russian airstrikes killed one person and injured at least 15 in Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, as peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States resumed in Abu Dhabi. The strikes damaged residential buildings and a medical facility, and disrupted heating and water supplies in parts of Kyiv.
Ukraine's energy situation has "significantly" worsened after recent Russian attacks, triggering emergency power outages in most regions. The CEO of Ukraine's largest private energy firm, Maxim Timchenko, described the situation as "close to a humanitarian catastrophe" and called for any peace deal to include a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.
The talks in Abu Dhabi, led by Russia's GRU military intelligence chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, focused on military issues. Russia reiterated its demand that Ukraine leave the Donbas region before negotiations begin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the meetings were at the "negotiator level" for the first time in a long while.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is deploying 447 emergency generators to Ukraine. EU commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated that Russia "deliberately" wants to deprive Ukrainians of energy to break their spirit, but "will fail."
Russia has also begun using a new high-speed drone, the Geran-5, which experts say could pose a serious threat to Ukraine's air defence. Ukraine's military intelligence claims key parts of the drone are sourced from Western and Chinese companies.
