A Russian drone struck emergency workers on Sunday in the village of Komyshuvakha, southern Ukraine, damaging rescue equipment at a former school and nearby shelter. No injuries were reported, but about 50 people remain missing following a previous attack on the same site last Monday that killed at least 55.
The strike came as US officials prepared for negotiations in Abu Dhabi this week aimed at outlining security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe after the war with Russia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that some progress had been made on what the “security infrastructure” could look like post-conflict. Rubio’s comments came ahead of his travel to Paris for talks with G7 foreign ministers and before US-mediated Russia-Ukraine negotiations scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi. The US delegation will include envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Rubio told CBS’s “60 Minutes” the issue of security guarantees had been a constant in discussions about the conflict. “The one thing that’s repeatedly come up is the need for security guarantees,” he said, “and what they would look like in Ukraine, and on the European continent.” He added, “I think that’s what the president’s alluding to – is that there’s been some advances made in what that architecture could look like post-conflict.”
Donald Trump, in an interview broadcast on Sunday, said he believed the war would end soon and suggested Ukraine’s borders might change as part of a settlement. “I think we’re gonna have it done, and I think it’s gonna happen and they’re gonna end up with a little bit different shape Ukraine,” he said. Asked if Vladimir Putin was stringing him along, Trump replied, “Oh, I don’t think so.”
France confirmed it would be represented in Abu Dhabi. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio, “France will be in Abu Dhabi to take part in these discussions.” He did not reveal who would represent France but added, “France will certainly be there.”
Meanwhile, in southeastern Ukraine, power was restored to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after it lost external electricity earlier on Sunday. The plant, which does not produce electricity but requires external power to cool nuclear fuel, had to rely on backup generators following the disconnection of the Ferosplavna power line. The International Atomic Energy Agency said this was the 27th loss of off-site electricity supply at the site since the conflict began. The cause and exact location of the disconnection remain unknown.
On the military front, Russia claimed overnight strikes on Sunday hit three cargo vessels carrying military goods to Ukraine and two electricity substations supplying power to Ukraine’s defence industry. According to the Russian defence ministry, one container ship delivering weapons and military equipment was struck in the Black Sea port of Odesa, another container ship carrying dual-use cargo was hit in the port of Chornomorsk, and a dry cargo ship carrying weapons and military supplies was damaged southwest of Odesa.
In a separate development, Moldova launched a new power line connecting the country to Romania and the European electricity grid. Moldovan President Maia Sandu wrote on X that the move aims to reduce dependence on Russian energy. “For decades, Moscow used energy to blackmail us,” Sandu wrote. “No more. Moldova buys zero Russian gas.” The former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people has faced energy challenges since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Abu Dhabi talks come as Ukrainian and international officials consider long-term security arrangements in Europe, while fighting and strategic strikes continue on the ground. The combination of diplomatic negotiations and active conflict highlights the complex and unsettled nature of the war as it enters its 1,720th day.
According to The Guardian.
