Russia Launches 20 Strikes Across 10 Ukrainian Regions Ahead of Abu Dhabi Talks
Key Facts
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Russia carried out 20 strikes in 10 regions in a single night, damaging power plants and other infrastructure and causing power outages. The attacks, reported by the Associated Press on November 3, 2026, came as the country prepared for winter. Ukrainian electricity company DTEK said 3 of its plants had stopped operating after the strikes. The ministry said the attacks caused extensive damage and led to power cuts. The incidents underscore the direct pressure on Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of peace talks scheduled for Abu Dhabi.
In a speech on November 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said intelligence indicated preparations for a new attack targeting the energy sector, bridges over the Dnipro River and civilian infrastructure. The president’s office quoted him as saying: "We now have intelligence indicating preparations for another strike targeting our energy sector, bridges over the Dnipro River and civilian infrastructure." He added that the authorities had decided to increase repair crews. He said Ukraine’s armed forces would help deal with the aftermath of Russian strikes. That puts energy and transport facilities among the concerns surrounding preparations for future attacks.
An account carried by RBC-Ukraine, citing a Financial Times report, attributed to an unnamed source a description of Putin’s position on a winter air campaign aimed at restoring influence in negotiations. The report does not present the position as a direct public threat made by the Russian president. The account also attributes the campaign’s motives to sources cited by the newspaper and does not present them as an officially announced Russian position. Separately, Interfax-Ukraine reported that people involved in closed-door negotiations doubted that an actual ceasefire could be reached because of what they described as Russia’s hard-line stance. The agency said European governments feared that a broad security agreement could allow Moscow to regain its sphere of influence and undermine the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
The U.S.-mediated talks are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, according to the Associated Press, which reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the participation of a Russian delegation. The agency said Ukraine’s priorities in the talks include ending attacks on energy and critical infrastructure, restoring grain shipments through the Black Sea and expanding prisoner exchanges. This diplomatic track coincides with continued attacks and reported damage to electricity facilities. But people involved in the closed-door negotiations, according to Interfax-Ukraine, do not necessarily expect the upcoming talks to produce an actual ceasefire. The talks put the protection of infrastructure among the issues Kyiv is seeking to discuss with Moscow.