At least two individuals lost their lives in a drone strike in Russia’s Saratov region, with parts of Ukraine experiencing power outages due to targeted attacks on energy infrastructure, according to local officials on Saturday. These incidents occurred amid ongoing U.S.-led peace negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.
Foreign policy advisers from the U.S., Ukraine, and Germany are scheduled to convene in Berlin on Sunday, as reported by the German news agency dpa. Germany is preparing to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, as part of European leaders’ efforts to guide the peace talks.
In the Russian drone attack, a residential building was damaged, and a kindergarten and clinic had windows blown out, stated Saratov regional Governor Roman Busargin. The Russian Defence Ministry reported intercepting 41 Ukrainian drones flying over Russian territory during the night.
In response to the assaults, Russia conducted drone and missile strikes across five Ukrainian regions, focusing on energy and port facilities. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko disclosed that over a million people were left without power, while President Zelenskyy mentioned that Russia deployed more than 450 drones and 30 missiles in the attacks.
An attack on Odesa resulted in fires at grain silos in the port, said Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister. Additionally, two individuals were injured in strikes in the broader Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.
Kyiv and its allies accuse Russia of attempting to disrupt the Ukrainian power grid to deprive civilians of essential services during the winter months, labeling it as a tactic to “weaponize” the cold.
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov’s statement on Russian police and National Guard remaining in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region even after a peace deal highlights Moscow’s intention to maintain influence in the area post-conflict.
Ukraine is expected to reject this proposition, as Moscow insists on a ceasefire only after Ukrainian forces retreat from the frontline, according to Ushakov’s comments in the Russian newspaper Kommersant.