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At least two people were killed in a drone attack in Russia’s southwestern Saratov region, and parts of Ukraine went without power, following targeted assaults on energy infrastructure, local authorities said Saturday.
The latest offensives took place as U.S.-led peace talks continue with the goal of ending the war.
Foreign policy advisers from the U.S., Ukraine and Germany, among others, are to meet in Berlin on Sunday, German news agency dpa reported. Germany is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, part of efforts by European leaders to steer the negotiations.
The drone attack in Russia damaged a residential building, and several windows were also blown out at a kindergarten and clinic, Saratov regional Gov. Roman Busargin said.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.
WATCH | Ukraine turns to Europe:
Ukraine looks for European support during Russia peace talks
Ukraine is looking for backup from its European neighbours during the ongoing U.S.-brokered peace talks with Russia, especially over concerns that a current proposal favours Moscow’s position.
In Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that more than a million people were without electricity.
Zelenskyy said Russia had sent over 450 drones and 30 missiles into Ukraine overnight.
An attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the port, said Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.
Kyiv and its Western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponizing” the cold.
The latest round of attacks came after Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
This underscores Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war.
WATCH | Trump says European leaders ‘weak’:
‘I think they’re weak,’ Trump says about European leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized European nations for their handling of issues such as migration and the war in Ukraine in a sit-down interview with Politico. His comments haven’t gone unnoticed, sparking reactions among European leaders like Pope Leo and former British diplomat Arthur Snell.
Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance.
Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from the front line, Ushakov said in comments published in Russian business daily Kommersant.