Russia hits Kyiv's power grids before talks with Ukraine, US in UAE

Missile explosions struck Kyiv and led to electricity outages early Saturday as Ukraine prepared for trilateral talks with Russia and the United States next Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Ukraine's European allies backing the peace initiative are seeking to be involved in the negotiations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax news agency the Russian delegation, headed again by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky as chief negotiator, will include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov for the first time and senior General Staff officer Yuri Zhigarlovsky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday met with all members of the delegation at a Security Council meeting.

During the televised portion of the meeting, Putin thanked the UAE for its consistent help in finding a solution to the Ukrainian crisis and said he wanted to discuss preparations with the Russian team for the upcoming talks.

Meanwhile, Russian guided aerial bombs that struck a former school and shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday have claimed at least 53 lives to date, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Rescuers continued to dismantle the shattered structures and clear the rubble in search of bodies.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to Western allies for more deliveries after Russians forceshammered energy infrastructure around Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight.

He stated the challenges of widespread power outages and water cuts are "very serious" for the capital's residents and industry.

Zelenskyy announced in his daily briefing new agreements on energy supplies from Germany, Spain and Slovakia and other nations are in place for equipment needed for repairs and reserves.

He also issued warning of fresh attacks being prepared against Ukraine's energy sector, bridges across the Dnipro River and civilian infrastructure.

Speaking at the Ukrainian Embassy in the US, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets commended the US efforts in brokering a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Oleshky region and highlighted a major evacuation operation that enabled residents to be transferred to Ukrainian-held territory.

The ombudsman said he hoped to expand such humanitarian efforts with the help of Washington.

US President Donald Trump said he had meetings with people on Russia and other issues in his Florida resort.

"Mar-a-Lago with a lot of different people having to do with Russia and having to do with other things...We just had a very good meeting and we have a lot of good calls made and we're doing very well, so we're working well with Russia, Ukraine. We're making a lot of progress," he said.

In Warsaw, the European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski both stressed it would be impossible to reach a deal to stop the war in Ukraine without the participation of Europe.

Sikorski further contended a ceasefire must come first before any kind of negotiation.