Extract from ABC News
Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv have killed one person and injured dozens. (Reuters: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
In short:
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's two largest cities have killed one person and wounded dozens.
The attacks come after peace talks between both countries and the United States, which have ended without a deal.
What's next?
Envoys met in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, for a second day of discussions on Saturday, local time.
Another round of talks is expected next weekend.
Ukraine and Russia have ended a second day of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi without a deal, but more talks are expected next weekend.
Statements after the conclusion of the talks, on Saturday local time, did not indicate that any agreements had been reached, but Moscow and Kyiv both said they were open to further dialogue.
"The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending the war," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X after the meeting.
More discussions were expected next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, said a US official who spoke to reporters immediately after the talks.
"We saw a lot of respect in the room between the parties because they were really looking to find solutions," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We got to real granular detail and [we feel] that next Sunday will be, God willing, another meeting where we push this deal towards its final culmination."
A UAE government spokesperson said there was face-to-face engagement between Ukraine and Russia, rare in the almost four-year-old war triggered by a full-scale Russian invasion, and negotiators tackled "outstanding elements" of Washington's peace framework.
Looking beyond next week's negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the US official voiced hopes for further talks, possibly in Moscow or Kyiv.
"Those sorts of meetings have to happen, in our view, before we get a bilateral between (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and Zelenskyy, or a trilateral with Putin, Zelenskyy and President (Donald) Trump. But I don't think we're so far away from that," the official said.
Attacks continue in Ukraine
Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed at least one person and wounded 31.
One person was killed and four were wounded in Russian drone attacks on Kyiv overnight into Saturday, local time, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
In Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, drone attacks wounded 27 people, Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov said on Saturday.
The White House described Friday's first day of peace talks as productive.
Following the latest attacks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin over the onslaught.
"Cynically, Putin ordered a brutal massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process," Mr Sybiha wrote on X.
"His missiles hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table."
There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days, from Switzerland to the Kremlin, even though serious obstacles remain between both sides.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday that a potential peace deal was "nearly ready," certain sensitive sticking points — most notably those related to territorial issues — remain unresolved.
Just hours before the three-way talks began, Mr Putin discussed a Ukraine settlement with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during marathon overnight talks.
The Kremlin insists that to reach a peace deal, Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the areas in the east that Russia illegally annexed but has not fully captured.
People took shelter inside metro stations during Russia's missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. (Reuters: Yan Dobronosov)
Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched 375 drones and 21 missiles in the overnight salvo, which once again targeted energy infrastructure, knocking out power and heat for large parts of Kyiv.
Before Saturday's bombardment, Kyiv had already endured two mass overnight attacks since the New Year that knocked out power and heating to hundreds of residential buildings.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov said on Saturday that 800,000 people in Kyiv — where temperatures were around -10 Celsius — had been left without power after the latest Russian assault.
Mr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia's heavy overnight strikes showed that agreements on further air defence support made with Mr Trump in Davos this week must be "fully implemented".
AP/Reuters
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