 "This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on January 8, 2026, shows rescuers working to extinguish a fire in a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rig, Dnipropetrovsk region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP")
Russia carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine so far this year overnight, killing civilians and triggering widespread power outages, just hours after Ukrainian, Russian and US officials held trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi.
Ukraine later on Saturday accused Moscow of deliberately undermining efforts to end the nearly four-year-long war by launching fresh deadly strikes even as negotiations continued.
Civilians hit in Kyiv and Kharkiv
Overnight bombardments killed one person and injured at least 27 others in Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities said, as negotiators from both sides prepared for a second day of talks on US-brokered proposals.
“Peace efforts? Trilateral meeting in the UAE? Diplomacy? For Ukrainians, this was another night of Russian terror,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Ukraine says strikes timed to sabotage talks
Sybiha accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering the massive missile and drone assault precisely while diplomatic efforts were under way to advance a US-led peace process.
He said Kyiv and Kharkiv were hit hardest, with Russia launching dozens of ballistic and air-launched missiles along with hundreds of drones. Energy infrastructure and residential areas were again targeted, which Sybiha described as further evidence that Moscow is waging a “genocidal war” against civilians.
Nearly 400 aerial weapons used
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired more than 370 drones and 21 missiles overnight. Other estimates put the total number of aerial weapons used at close to 400, including hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles.
Vitaliy Zaichenko, chief executive of state energy company UkrEnergo, said around 80 percent of the country would face emergency power outages on Saturday.
Talks continue despite escalation
Explosions were reported shortly after the first round of talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington concluded in Abu Dhabi, with discussions expected to continue.
The negotiations brought together senior Russian military and intelligence officials, top Ukrainian diplomats and security officials, and a US delegation that included President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
Cautious outlook from Kyiv
Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov said the talks focused on achieving a “dignified and lasting peace” and confirmed that further meetings were planned.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, struck a cautious note, saying it was too early to draw conclusions and stressing that Russia must demonstrate genuine intent to end the war.