Abu Dhabi talks this week: Russia pummels Kyiv with three waves of ballistic missiles in just four hours

Representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the US are scheduled to meet for the first trilateral talks since February in Abu Dhabi this week, but observers and commentators expect the summit to make little progress, if any, regarding a peaceful solution to the war nearing its fifth anniversary.

And if events of this weekend are any kind of sign of what we can expect from the trilateral talks, it is difficult to see any light in the dark.

According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia launched not one, not two, but three waves of ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv during the night between Nov. 6 and Nov. 7.

The barrage reportedly injured five people, including a 14-year-old, as well as damaging residential buildings and energy infrastructure.

Four-hour attack

Citing Ukrainian authorities, Ukrainian outlet United24 Media reports that the attack began around 11:00 p.m. on November 6 and continued past 3:00 a.m., leaving the city and surrounding suburbs shaken by repeated explosions.

Ballistic missiles slammed directly into the Northern Bridge, a major crossing over the Dnipro River, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The blast ripped up pavement, tore down trolleybus lines, and crushed five parked trucks.

Repair teams rushed in. Still, city officials declined to estimate when the roadway could reopen. This was no isolated incident. Just weeks earlier, an October barrage crippled the capital’s South Bridge and shut down subway lines, highlighting an alarming pattern targeting the city’s lifelines.

Freezing in the dark

The strikes reached deep into residential neighborhoods. In the Solomianskyi district, falling explosives destroyed a kindergarten structure and ripped the lower facade off an apartment building. At least five people suffered injuries, including a 14-year-old child, with two victims rushed to hospital.

Then the lights went out. Damaged energy hubs in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions disrupted electricity, running water, and heating supplies across the capital. To keep the grid from collapsing, operators enforced emergency cuts just after 7:00 a.m., with Klitschko warning that supplies remain under severe strain.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia fired 172 attack drones and a volley of ballistic missiles during the overnight assault. Air defenses intercepted most of them. Crews knocked out 149 drones and four missiles, yet falling metal still ignited blazes across 34 locations and left a man trapped beneath a destroyed home outside the city.

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation