Russia pounds Kyiv as Ukraine strikes oil refinery ahead of peace talks

Investing.com -- Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Kyiv and surrounding regions overnight, killing at least one civilian and damaging energy infrastructure, as Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian oil and defense facilities ahead of peace talks next week.

Russian forces fired 36 ballistic missiles and 172 attack drones, according to Ukrainian officials, who said air defenses intercepted four missiles and 149 drones. Several people were injured in the strikes.

Damage to energy facilities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions disrupted electricity supplies in the capital, affecting heating and water services. Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, a major crossing over the Dnipro River, was also struck and closed to traffic Saturday morning.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it targeted military-industrial, energy and transport infrastructure, including the Northern Bridge, which it alleged was used to move Ukrainian military equipment. Moscow also claimed strikes on the Meridian plant, a power station, substations and a munitions facility.

The Russian ministry separately claimed to have hit a cargo vessel in the Black Sea carrying military and dual-use supplies. Those claims could not be independently verified from the information provided.

Ukraine, meanwhile, struck the Saratov oil refinery in southwestern Russia, according to a person familiar with the operation. The plant can process approximately 140,000 barrels of crude daily and has previously suspended operations following attacks. The regional governor confirmed an overnight attack but did not identify the refinery as a target.

Ukraine’s military also reported hitting the Proton-Electrotex defense facility in Russia’s Oryol region with a Neptune cruise missile, causing a fire. The extent of the damage remains under assessment.

The escalation comes before expected U.S.-led talks involving Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of shortages of air-defense interceptors and called for continued U.S. support following the midterm elections.