Russian strikes wound nine and damage Ukraine's power network ahead of talks

ByOlivia Ireland and Dan Johnson, Reporting fromin Kyiv. 7 November 2026, 12: 38 GMT.

Key points

• The latest attacks come after US First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House on Thursday.
• Zelensky continued that beyond Kyiv, substations were damaged in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.
• She thanked both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, making no reference to the origins of the war.
• Zelensky continued in his Telegram post on Saturday after the latest attacks that Ukraine was counting on rose bilateral backing from the United States.
• Overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks damaged Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyhas remarked, causing blackouts and disrupting water supplies.

Zelensky remarked 12 Ukrainian regions came under attack with the capital Kyiv hit hardest.

Nine individuals are noted to have been hurt nationwide, including one child, in the wave of attacks that consisted of more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones.

Notably, the attacks come before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to take part in trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi next week.

Zelensky wrote on Telegram, external that Moscow was preparing for the discussions by launching attacks on Ukraine's "critical infrastructure".

Temperatures are dropping in Ukraine, and parts of the country have had the first winter snow.

"The situation in the capital is tough, with disruptions to electricity, water, and heating supplies. Residential buildings, the North Bridge, and a kindergarten have been damaged, " Zelensky remarked.

"In the Kyiv region, there were strikes on substations that connect the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine."

In his latest update, Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko remarked the city's water supply system is back to operating normally. He additionally stated around 60% of the city's apartment buildings were connected to the heating system.

Notably, the energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, remarked there were power cuts in five regions but did not say how numerous homes were affected.

For context, the latest attacks come after US First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House on Thursday.

She pressed a "more enduring" ceasefire in Ukraine after a truce last week in the southern region of Kherson.

She thanked both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, making no reference to the origins of the war. It began when Putin introduced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has caused thousands of civilian casualties and the displacement of millions.

Hundreds of residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky facing starvation and constant bombardment were able to evacuate during a six-day ceasefire. It both Moscow and Kyiv credited Trump with brokering.

"The lives of innocent individuals must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace, " she remarked.

Earlier this week, a number of residents were killed when glide bombs hit an aid centre near Zaporizhzhia, with the death toll rising to 55 as teams search deeper into the ruins.

He wrote: We are counting on unity between both parties on problems of security, backing for Ukraine, condemnation of Russian aggression, and rose sanctions pressure on Putin.

"The resolve and consistency of the United States in supporting Ukraine are of great importance in bringing peace closer."

Meanwhile, Zelenksy's spokesperson would not be drawn on reports that the Ukrainian president is to be invited to the UK for a state visit next year. Extra reporting by Daniel Wittenberg.

For now, russian strikes wound nine and damage Ukraine' s power network ahead of talks remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.