Russia Fires 59 Missiles at Ukraine's Power Grid, Wounding Nine as Winter Nears

Russia has launched a series of devastating attacks on Ukraine's power grid, firing dozens of missiles at energy facilities across the country and wounding at least nine people, officials said. The strikes come as Ukrainian and Russian delegations prepare to join trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week [282320].

In one of the largest assaults on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the war began, Russia launched 59 cruise missiles and drones at power plants and substations, according to reports [278648]. The attacks targeted critical energy facilities across multiple regions, forcing emergency crews to respond to damage at numerous sites.

The strikes have cut electricity to more than 600,000 people in the Dnipropetrovsk region alone, local officials reported [282513]. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks are meant to pressure Ukraine before any negotiations, accusing Moscow of using diplomacy as another weapon against the country [282513].

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the energy situation in the capital as "extremely difficult" following overnight attacks that focused on the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions [282298]. At least six people were injured in those strikes [282298].

The attacks have also damaged civilian infrastructure. A kindergarten in Kyiv was left in ruins, and firefighters battled a major blaze as renewed attacks struck the energy network [282068]. In a separate incident, Russian missiles damaged residential and commercial buildings and forced the closure of a bridge over the Dnipro River [282057].

The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based research group, has warned that without stronger air defenses, Ukraine will likely face a repeat of last winter's power crisis [279922]. Ukraine's nuclear plants have already reduced output because the damaged power grid cannot carry their electricity [279922].

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, has lost its external power supply and is now relying on emergency diesel generators to cool its reactors and manage critical safety systems [282353]. The plant, under Russian control since early in the war, has experienced repeated outages that have prompted warnings from international nuclear officials about increasingly fragile safety systems [282353].

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly called for a stable power supply and a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant, but neither has been established [282353].

Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of trying to "push" Ukraine "into a blackout" ahead of negotiations [281415]. The attacks come just before three-way talks in Abu Dhabi involving Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. delegations [281415][282057].

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