As international diplomats convened for critical peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Russian forces launched renewed aerial assaults across Ukraine overnight Friday into Saturday. The attacks resulted in significant civilian casualties, with at least one fatality and 23 individuals wounded across multiple cities.
In the capital Kyiv, drone strikes killed one person and left four injured, according to official statements from Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. The northeastern city of Kharkiv suffered even greater damage, with Mayor Ihor Terekhov reporting 19 civilians wounded in similar attacks.
These developments occurred simultaneously with the second day of trilateral talks involving senior officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in the United Arab Emirates. This meeting represents the first known instance of Trump administration envoys engaging directly with both warring parties as part of Washington’s intensified diplomatic initiative to resolve the nearly four-year conflict.
The UAE Foreign Ministry characterized the discussions as part of ongoing efforts “to facilitate dialogue and explore political resolutions to the crisis.” White House officials described initial sessions as productive, despite the challenging context of continued violence.
The diplomatic engagement occurs amid conflicting signals from leadership on both sides. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested during the World Economic Forum in Davos that a potential peace agreement was “nearly ready,” while the Kremlin maintains that any settlement must include Ukrainian withdrawal from territories Russia has illegally annexed—a condition Kyiv has consistently rejected.
The negotiations gain additional significance following revelations that Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in marathon overnight discussions with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner just hours before the Abu Dhabi talks commenced.