Kyiv Grid Struck Before Abu Dhabi Talks
Ukraine faces a major infrastructure assault on November 7, three days prior to scheduled trilateral negotiations in the United Arab Emirates.
By Olga Menon ·
A coordinated Russian air campaign on November 7 left parts of the Ukrainian capital without power, heat, or water. The attack targeted energy infrastructure and a key Dnipro River crossing, occurring just days before diplomatic talks set to begin in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine's Air Force reported that 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles were launched during the overnight assault.
The conflict has intensified as winter approaches. Russia has increased strikes on energy sites while resisting calls for a partial cease-fire, arguing that fighting should stop only after a comprehensive peace deal is reached. Ukraine has simultaneously continued its own offensive against Russian industrial targets, creating a cycle of reciprocal strikes that has accelerated in recent weeks.
The Northern Bridge, a major crossing over the Dnipro River, was hit and temporarily closed to traffic in both directions. City officials reported damage to the road surface, overhead power lines, and nearby vehicles. Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the energy situation in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions as extremely difficult. Five people were injured in the capital, including a 14-year-old, while damage was reported to several apartment buildings and a kindergarten.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, strikes on four districts resulted in one death and four injuries, including an 11-year-old girl, according to the State Emergency Service. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that substations linking the Rivne and Khmelnytskiy nuclear plants to central Ukraine were targeted. He also identified damage to substations in the Vinnytsya, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Zelenskyy urged the United States to maintain and increase support, calling for greater unity in Congress and stronger sanctions on Russia.
Ukrainian forces responded by targeting Russian military and energy assets overnight on November 6 and 7. The General Staff announced that Neptune coastal missile systems struck JSC Proton-Electrotex in Oryol. This facility produces electronic components for Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles and cruise missile systems. Oryol regional authorities confirmed damage to warehouses, production facilities, and three private houses.
In the Saratov region, a fire broke out at the Saratov Oil Refinery following a Ukrainian drone attack. Governor Roman Busargin confirmed damage to civilian infrastructure and preliminary reports of casualties. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 411 Ukrainian drones during the same period, a figure that has not been independently verified.
Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian delegation will include presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin. The Ukrainian side is expected to be led by Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, alongside Kyrylo Budanov and other senior officials.
