Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes before brokered talks scheduled to begin in Abu Dhabi

Strikes continue before talks

Russia hit four electrical substations in Ukraine’s Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions, its Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 317 drones overnight, including 105 jet-powered drones.

Ukrainian forces also struck another of Russia’s biggest oil refineries, officials said. The power-grid attacks are part of a Russian campaign that seeks to deprive civilians of heating, light and running water as winter approaches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the European Union had agreed to activate an emergency mechanism to speed funding for power-grid repairs.

Delegations prepare to meet

Envoys from the United States, Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday for two days of talks. The previous round took place in February.

The agenda includes security guarantees acceptable to Russia and Ukraine. Russia views NATO as a threat, while Ukraine wants protection against future Russian invasions. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a “60 Minutes” interview aired Sunday that Moscow and Kyiv were “very close” to a deal, despite deep hostility between Putin and Zelenskyy. He said Ukraine would have “a little bit different shape” under a settlement, without elaborating.

Questions over broader participation

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will mediate. Kushner said the priorities include ending the conflict, preventing its return, reviving Ukraine’s postwar economy and preparing humanitarian aid.

Kushner said he and Witkoff would consult before the talks with officials from Ukraine, the European Union, NATO, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said European officials would hold separate coordination with Kyiv’s delegation.

Moscow says European representatives will not take part directly in the Abu Dhabi discussions, while European officials said representatives would be in the United Arab Emirates. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the meeting would focus on trilateral negotiations mediated by the United States.

No clear path to agreement

A previous three-way round in Geneva nine months ago produced no significant progress. Russia’s finances are under heavy strain from the war, while attacks are choking Ukraine’s economy.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that the U.S. team had put “collective security” across a wider region at the top of the agenda. Trump has previously made statements about war developments that did not come to pass.