Russia and Ukraine trade long-range strikes before US-brokered talks

Russia and Ukraine exchanged long-range strikes on Monday, with Russia hitting Ukrainian electrical substations and Ukraine attacking a major Russian oil refinery, hours before U.S.-brokered talks were set to begin. The attacks underscore the ongoing intensity of the nearly five-year conflict. Russia's Defense Ministry said it targeted four electrical substations in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions, part of a campaign to cut heating and power ahead of winter. Ukraine's air force reported 317 drones launched overnight, while Ukrainian long-range drones sparked a fire at the KINEF oil refinery near St. Petersburg, over 1,200 kilometers from the border. The two-day talks begin Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, focusing on security guarantees, with Moscow insisting on trilateral negotiations and excluding European officials, though France says European representatives will be present. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a Sunday interview that the sides are close to a deal, but past such claims have not materialized.