Russian Missiles Hit Kyiv, Injure 5 Days Before Abu Dhabi Talks

Missile explosions struck Kyiv early Saturday and injured at least five people, ABC News reported, just days before negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are due to meet in Abu Dhabi. The attack also caused new power and water outages in the Ukrainian capital, according to national and city authorities.

The talks are scheduled for Tuesday in the capital of the United Arab Emirates and are meant to find a way to end the war. They would be the fourth round of negotiations brokered by the Trump administration.

What the overnight attack damaged

According to ABC News, the Russian missiles damaged homes and commercial properties in Kyiv. Traffic was closed on a bridge over the Dnipro River. National and city officials said the strikes also set off fresh outages of electricity and water.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said energy facilities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions were damaged in what he called the enemy's night attack. He described the capital's power situation as “extremely difficult,” and said it was affecting both the city's heating and its water supply systems.

Recovery continues in Komyshuvakha

In southern Ukraine, rescuers were still working in the village of Komyshuvakha, ABC News reported. The village, in the Zaporizhzhia region near the front line, was devastated on Monday when several Russian guided bombs hit a former school and a nearby shelter. Residents had gathered there to wait for humanitarian aid.

Fifty-five people were killed in the attack on the building, which had been turned into an aid distribution center. Two more bodies were recovered early Saturday. Dozens of people are still missing.

What the Abu Dhabi talks are meant to achieve

The Abu Dhabi meeting follows the most recent round of talks, held in Geneva in February. According to ABC News, Western governments that back the peace initiative are looking for a new formula to break the impasse. They acknowledge that questions over territory and security remain unresolved.

The outlet did not report what specific proposals will be on the table in Abu Dhabi, or who will lead each delegation.

What this means for Kyiv residents and for the peace effort

For people in Kyiv, the immediate effect is practical. Damage to energy facilities has disrupted electricity, heating and water, according to officials, and Klitschko said the capital's energy supply is in a very difficult state. A closed bridge over the Dnipro also affects traffic through the city.

For the diplomacy, the timing puts the violence and the negotiations side by side. Saturday's strikes came as Ukraine was preparing for the talks, and the toll from Monday's bombing in Komyshuvakha is still being counted. Territorial and security disputes, which Western backers say remain open, are the issues that the new round is meant to address.

What happens next

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. are due to meet Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, the recovery operation in Komyshuvakha continues, and utility crews and city authorities in Kyiv are dealing with the outages caused by the overnight attack.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News