Russia launches major assault on Ukraine amid US peace talks
Russia unleashed its second-largest aerial barrage of the war, deploying 704 drones and missiles against Ukraine just as US and Ukrainian officials wrapped up three days of negotiations in Miami focused on ending the nearly four-year conflict.
The massive attack, which surpassed all but one prior assault involving 823 weapons on September 6, targeted energy infrastructure across eight regions, leading to blackouts, water shortages, and reduced output at nuclear plants including Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian defenses downed 585 drones and 30 missiles, yet 60 strikes impacted 29 sites, injuring at least eight people in areas like Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv. A thermal power plant in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, suffered direct hits, while Odesa saw 9,500 households lose heating and 34,000 go without water.
NATO ally Poland scrambled fighter jets from Spanish, Czech, German, and Dutch forces, activating air defenses for nearly four hours to safeguard its airspace, though no incursions occurred. These preventive steps underscored alliance vigilance along the eastern flank during the onslaught.
The strikes coincided with the third day of US-Ukraine talks, where envoys including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov. Both sides agreed progress hinges on Russia's commitment to de-escalation and lasting peace, outlining a postwar security framework amid cautious optimism. Zelenskyy emphasized Moscow's intent to cause widespread suffering through energy attacks.
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