Russia strikes Ukraine's power grid ahead of Abu Dhabi peace talks

Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Tuesday, causing widespread power outages just a week before US-brokered peace talks are scheduled to resume in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported at least 33 people killed in a separate Russian bombing of a school in the Zaporizhzhia region, with dozens more feared buried. The attacks, which included 289 drones and 76 missiles, knocked three of Ukraine's largest thermal power plants offline and disrupted power and water supplies in Kyiv and six other regions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Russia to engage in serious negotiations, stating he has seen no sign of this so far. The strikes come amid heightened tensions, with Zelenskiy noting the timing coincides with US congressional elections and appealing for additional air defenses ahead of the November 10-11 talks.