Russia hits targets in and around Kyiv in massive overnight strikes

Russia said its forces carried out a massive overnight strike on what it described as targets in Ukraine's military-industrial sector and energy and transport infrastructure in Kyiv and the surrounding region.

In Kyiv, Russia's defence ministry said strikes hit the Northern Bridge — which it said was being used to transport weapons, military equipment and vehicles for the Ukrainian armed forces — and the Meridian plant, which Russia says produces Flamingo cruise missiles.

The ministry also said the strikes damaged several energy and industrial facilities in the Kyiv region, including a power plant, an electricity substation and a munitions manufacturing facility.

It added that Russian forces struck an electricity substation in the Zhytomyr region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea that it said was transporting military equipment and dual-use goods to Ukraine.

Ukraine officials tried to highlight hit to civilian facilities like energy infrastructure around the capital with Russian missiles and drones overnight, straining Kyiv's power supply and heating systems as temperatures headed towards zero.

"The capital is facing serious difficulties with its electricity, water, and heat supplies," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X, adding that substations in five other regions were also hit.

He said Russia had launched 36 ballistic missiles, only four of which were intercepted, according to Ukraine's air force. It added that air defences had downed 149 out of 172 drones.

At least two people reported killed

At least two people were killed and around a dozen others wounded across Ukraine in the overnight attacks, which also damaged homes, businesses and non-residential buildings, authorities said.

Moscow's defence ministry said it carried out a massive strike on what it described as targets in Ukraine's military-industrial sector, as well as energy and transport infrastructure in and around Kyiv.

Russia has stepped up air attacks on Ukraine as its ground offensive has largely stalled, pounding energy infrastructure in major cities with difficult-to-intercept missiles and drones more than 4-1/2 years into its full-scale invasion.

It has expanded its campaign in recent weeks to target Kyiv's bridges, snarling traffic in the city of more than 3 million people.

Saturday's strikes come days before a new round of three-way talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukrainian and Russian officials, as part of a US-backed peace push that has so far yielded few results.

"Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine's critical infrastructure," Zelenskiy said on X.

The attacks also follow recent US midterm elections that have raised hopes in Ukraine for stronger support against Russia's war from a Democratic-controlled Congress.

"We are counting on the US Congress to give more attention to Ukraine, because Russia keeps increasing the number of its attacks," Zelenskiy added.