Russian strikes cut power as Ukraine prepares for proposed diplomatic talks

Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in at least four Ukrainian regions overnight, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity, DW reported. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strikes as a Melania Trump-brokered ceasefire for the Kherson region approached its scheduled end on Sunday evening. [1]

President Zelenskyy met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday evening to discuss preparations for a potential three-way summit involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, according to DW. The Ukrainian president stated that the meeting is being planned for the first half of November and that talks included ways to involve Turkey and the rest of Europe. [1]

The military developments follow Ukrainian strikes against Russian military targets. TVP World and The Kyiv Independent both reported that Ukraine used Neptune missiles and drones to strike a Russian plant in Rostov Oblast that produces fuel for multiple launch rocket systems. Additionally, sources confirmed to The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine never agreed to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries. [2][3][6]

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, initiating the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II. The full-scale war followed Russia's initial 2014 attack and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of military casualties alongside widespread damage to energy infrastructure across Ukraine. [11][15]