Strikes Continue as Russia and Ukraine Prepare for Abu Dhabi Talks
Russia and Ukraine traded long-range attacks on November 9, hours before their delegations were expected to prepare for U.S.-mediated discussions on ending the war. The two-day talks are scheduled to begin Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, nearly five years after Russia’s invasion began. The countries remain far apart, and earlier three-way discussions in Geneva produced no significant progress.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces targeted electrical substations in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 317 drones overnight, including 105 jet-powered models. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the European Union had agreed to speed funding for repairs to Ukraine’s power grid. In Odesa, a Russian strike hit a warehouse holding food for schools and kindergartens, killing three people, local officials said.
Ukraine’s long-range drones set a fire at the KINEF refinery near St. Petersburg, according to Leningrad Gov. Alexander Drozdenko. Ukraine’s General Staff also said its forces hit a nearby plant that makes solid rocket propellant for Russian Iskander-M missiles. Ukrainian forces say strikes on Russian refining capacity have hindered Moscow’s ability to supply its military; Patriot air-defense missiles that could help Ukraine counter ballistic missiles are in short supply.
The Abu Dhabi discussions are expected to address security guarantees for both countries. Moscow says European officials will not participate, while France’s foreign minister said EU delegates would attend in the Emirates. A Kremlin representative, Dmitry Peskov, said the meeting would involve three parties, with the United States mediating.
President Donald Trump said in a televised interview that the sides were close to an agreement, but did not explain his suggestion that Ukraine could have a different shape under a settlement. Russia’s finances are under strain from the war, while attacks continue to damage Ukraine’s economy.
Ukraine’s Power Grid Is Hit Again as Peace Talks Near
Russia renewed its assault on Ukraine’s power system on November 9, with strikes on substations in four regions and a reported overnight barrage of 317 drones. The attacks came just before talks intended to address the war’s future, underscoring the cost of a process that has yet to produce meaningful progress.
The targets included substations in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions. Zelenskyy said the EU had agreed to accelerate funding for grid repairs. In Odesa, a strike on a warehouse storing food for schools and kindergartens killed three people, local officials said. Russia’s campaign threatens basic services as winter approaches.
Ukraine struck back with drones that ignited a fire at KINEF, a major refinery near St. Petersburg. Its General Staff also said Ukrainian forces hit a plant producing propellant for Russian Iskander-M missiles. Kyiv says its refinery attacks have reduced Russia’s ability to supply its forces, while Ukraine itself faces a shortage of Patriot missiles needed to counter ballistic attacks.
Talks are due to begin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with security guarantees among the issues under discussion. Moscow says Europeans will not take part, though France’s foreign minister said European representatives would attend. The dispute over participation is a reminder that Ukraine’s future is being discussed amid competing efforts to shape the negotiations.
Trump said the sides were close to a deal but offered no detail about a settlement that could leave Ukraine with a different shape. Any agreement must confront the continuing attacks and the need to prevent future Russian invasions; the previous Geneva talks made no significant headway.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery as Talks Approach
Ukraine used long-range drones to set a fire at the KINEF refinery near St. Petersburg on November 9, and its General Staff said it also struck a plant making propellant for Russian Iskander-M missiles. The attacks show Kyiv is targeting the military and energy capacity sustaining Russia’s war as negotiations approach.
Russia also launched a large overnight drone attack, with Ukraine’s air force reporting 317 drones, including 105 jet-powered ones. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces hit substations in four Ukrainian regions. A strike on an Odesa warehouse holding food for schools and kindergartens killed three people, local officials said. The attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure continue even as the sides prepare to meet.
Ukraine has said its refinery strikes have put over half of Russia’s oil processing ability out of action, affecting supplies to Russian forces. Kyiv says it is also seeking to stop ballistic missile launches, which its defenses cannot intercept once they are airborne without more U.S.-made Patriot systems. Those missiles are scarce.
The talks begin Tuesday in Abu Dhabi and are expected to consider security guarantees. Moscow says European officials will not be involved, but France’s foreign minister said European representatives would attend. A Kremlin representative, Dmitry Peskov, described the discussions as involving three parties, with Washington mediating.
Trump has said an agreement is near, while suggesting Ukraine may have a different shape under a settlement without explaining what that means. The last three-way talks, held in Geneva, made no significant progress. Russia’s war-weakened finances and Ukraine’s battered economy frame the stakes, but the latest strikes show that neither side has stopped fighting.
