Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight, after US and Ukrainian officials said they'll meet on Saturday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war. Russia used 653 drones and 51 missiles in the wide-reaching attack, which triggered air raid alerts nationwide and came as Ukraine marked Armed Forces Day, the country's air force said Saturday. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, noting 29 locations were struck, per the AP.
At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said. Among these, at least three people were wounded in the Kyiv region, per local officials. Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraine's Lviv region. Russia carried out a "massive missile-drone attack" on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several regions, Ukraine's national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said energy facilities were the main targets, also noting that a drone strike had "burned down" the train station in the city of Fastiv, in the Kyiv region.
Russia's Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday. Russian Telegram news channel Astra said Ukraine struck Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, sharing footage appearing to show a fire breaking out and plumes of smoke rising above the refinery. The AP couldn't independently verify the video, and Ukraine didn't immediately comment on the alleged attack. Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged in a drone attack, and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an "industrial facility," but he didn't mention the refinery.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, electricity, and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call "weaponizing" the cold. The latest round of attacks came as US President Trump's advisers and Ukrainian officials said they'll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday, after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine. Following Friday's talks, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any "real progress toward any agreement" ultimately will depend "on Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace."
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