Russia Launches Massive Overnight Attack on Ukraine, Killing 31; Zelenskyy Urges US to Step Up Support

Kyiv: At least 31 people were killed and dozens injured after Russia launched a massive overnight attack targeting critical infrastructure across Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urging the United States to take note of Moscow's actions and step up support for Kyiv's air defence.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Russia launched 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles overnight, primarily targeting energy infrastructure, including power generation facilities and substations, across several regions. The affected regions include Odesa, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv and Rivne, where emergency and unscheduled power outages have been reported in several cities and communities.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces also directly struck a city clinical hospital in Kharkiv, injuring 73 people and damaging its cardiology department, where patients were receiving treatment. He further said rescue operations had been underway in Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region, where the death toll had risen to 29, with five others injured. Several people remain trapped under the rubble.

"Rescue operations continue as far as the security situation allows – there is a threat of Russian double-tap strikes, as they always so wickedly do," Zelenskyy said, expressing condolences to the families of those killed. The Ukrainian President warned that the threat of further Russian missile and drone attacks remained, with air raid alerts continuing across the country.

Highlighting the timing of the attack, Zelenskyy said it was significant that the strikes had taken place on the day of the US congressional elections, urging Washington not to overlook what he described as a signal from Moscow. "The Russians believe that America will not notice this signal from them. But such terror must be noticed and stopped," he said, calling on the US to help Ukraine defend its airspace against further attacks.

Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needed continued assistance to protect its skies, adding that Russia would not stop its missile strikes without effective air defence support. He also called for efforts to establish peace through an honest and reliable process. The remarks come amid renewed diplomatic efforts by the United States to bring an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Monday (local time) that Washington would mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 as part of the Trump administration's efforts to advance a peace agreement. In a post on X, Witkoff said the discussions would focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and the next steps towards a peace agreement.

"The United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, advancing President Trump's mission to end the war," Witkoff said. He also announced that American negotiators would meet representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO in Brussels later this week.

The proposed discussions will focus on security guarantees for Ukraine, Europe's post-war security architecture and economic opportunities to support Ukraine's reconstruction. Witkoff said Washington intended to build on progress made during previous engagements in Kyiv, Oslo and St. Petersburg, expressing hope for a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement. 

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