Rescue operations on after Russian strike on Ukraine
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.
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. 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. He also called on the United States to increase bilateral support and maintain Ukraine among its policy priorities. 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. He thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the negotiations. Russian President Vladimir Putin met the delegation at a security council meeting on Friday to discuss preparations for the talks.