'36 missiles, 172 drones': Russia to join US-Ukraine talks after massive overnight strikes on Kyiv energy sites

Russia launched 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones at Ukraine overnight, targeting energy infrastructure in Kyiv and surrounding regions, even as Moscow prepares to join trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine next week.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said all 36 missiles were directed at Kyiv and the surrounding region, with energy facilities bearing the brunt of the attacks. The strikes also damaged residential buildings, the Northern Bridge and a kindergarten, while disrupting electricity, water and heating supplies in the capital.A substation connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine was hit in the Kyiv region. Other substations were damaged in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro. Twelve regions, apart from Kyiv, came under attack, leaving nine people injured, including a child, Zelenskyy said."Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure," Zelenskyy said, adding that repair and rescue operations were underway wherever the security situation allowed. He also called on the United States to increase bilateral support and maintain Ukraine among its policy priorities.Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax that Russia's delegation for the talks with the US and Ukraine would include senior military officials and diplomats.The meeting is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be the first trilateral engagement of its kind since February.The Russian delegation will again be led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky and include deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, who will join the negotiations for the first time, along with senior General Staff officer Yuri Zhigarlovsky.Deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin and military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov are also expected to participate.Russian President Vladimir Putin met the delegation at a security council meeting on Friday to discuss preparations for the talks. He thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the negotiations.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.