Russian and Ukrainian forces traded attacks targeting each other’s power facilities on Nov. 3, ahead of peace talks planned for next week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Russian drone and missile strikes had targeted power-generation sites and substations in Odesa, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, and Rivne.
He said the overnight Russian attack had included at least 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles.
“In many cities and communities, emergency and unscheduled power outages are ongoing,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed its forces targeted power generation facilities they assessed to be supporting Ukraine’s military.
Zelenskyy said Russian strikes on Kharkiv damaged a hospital, leaving 73 injured.
The Ukrainian leader also reported rescue operations in the Zaporizhzhia region were continuing following strikes a day earlier. He said the death toll in the region has risen to 29 people.
Citing Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that Russian forces intercepted 856 attack drones overnight. Other drones managed to slip through Russian air defenses.
Two employees were injured, and infrastructure was damaged at an oil refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, TASS reported. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev reported 124 drones targeted the Yaroslavl refinery.
TASS reported 493 Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s Moscow region overnight.
Ukrainian drones were also reported over Bryansk, Belgorod, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Novgorod, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver, Tula, and the Russian-held Crimean Peninsula.
Russian authorities reported that their air defense forces intercepted most of the Ukrainian attack drones.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacking energy sites on either side of the conflict, but to little avail.
The latest overnight strikes came in the hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the United States would mediate talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in the United Arab Emirates on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.
The trilateral discussions, which would be the first since February, are aimed at advancing efforts to end the current war and determine post-conflict security arrangements.
Zelenskyy suggested Russia’s latest attacks were also deliberately timed to coincide with election day in the United States, while the U.S. general public is focused on internal politics.
“The Russians believe that America will not notice this signal from them. But such terror must be noticed and stopped,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“Ukraine must be helped to defend its skies, otherwise Russia will never stop its missile strikes. It is essential to help build peace honestly and reliably, and America can do that.”
Russian and Ukrainian forces did recently conclude a limited ceasefire around the embattled eastern Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
The ceasefire, which was brokered with the help of First Lady Melania Trump, ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 and allowed the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from the area.
On Tuesday, the White House announced Melania Trump would host Russian and Ukrainian delegations at the White House on Nov. 5. She is set to deliver remarks on the recent ceasefire in Oleshky during the engagement.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the number of drones launched at Russian territory. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
