Russia and Ukraine traded heavy strikes on each other's energy sites over the weekend, a day before U.S.-brokered peace talks open in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Russian attacks on the power grid in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region left crews working Monday to restore electricity to about 600,000 people, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Regional military chief Oleksandr Hanzha said hospitals had switched to diesel generators. In the Odesa region, drone strikes on electricity sites killed three people, officials said.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 276 of 317 Russian drones, according to dpa. Ukrenergo, the state grid operator, reported power cuts lasting up to 16 hours a day in some regions.
Refinery hit in Russia
Ukrainian drones set fire to an oil refinery in Kirishi in Russia's Leningrad region, Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko said. He said the fire was contained and that one woman was killed by falling drone debris.
The talks
The talks on Nov. 10-11 are the first in about nine months, Al Jazeera reported. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lead the American side. Rustem Umerov leads Ukraine's team, and Vladimir Medinsky leads Russia's.
The Kremlin said Monday that European officials would not take part, while France's foreign minister said France, Britain, Germany, NATO and the European Commission would be present, Al Jazeera reported.
In a CBS "60 Minutes" interview broadcast Sunday, President Donald Trump said, "I think we're going to have it done," adding that Ukraine would "end up with a little bit different shape," RFE/RL reported. Ukraine has said it will not permanently give up territory.
Related: Trump's "60 Minutes" interview.