Overnight Russian attacks killed three people and caused more than 600,000 residents in and around Ukraine to be without power on Saturday morning. Ukraine, in the same weekend, struck two Russian oil tankers, setting one on fire.
Russian attacks
Ukraine’s energy ministry said more than 500,000 of those who lost power were in the capital of Kyiv. DTEK Energy, the country’s largest private energy firm, said it is doing “everything possible to restore power to all homes as soon as possible.” As of Saturday afternoon, a majority of the houses had their power back.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s military launched about 36 missiles and almost 600 drones overnight. The main targets, he said, were energy infrastructure and civilian facilities. There was also “extensive damage and fires” in residential buildings.
“We must work without wasting a single day to ensure that there are enough missiles for our air defense systems, and that everything necessary for our protection and for pressure on Russia is in place,” Zelenskyy said.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, more than two dozen people were injured in the attacks, including a 13-year-old.
The overnight strikes come as a Ukrainian delegation travels to the U.S. to continue talks on a peace agreement.
“Diplomacy remains active. The American side is demonstrating a constructive approach, and in the coming days it is feasible to flesh out the steps to determine how to bring the war to a dignified end,” Zelenskyy said. “The Ukrainian delegation has the necessary directives, and I expect the guys to work in accordance with clear Ukrainian priorities.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Ukrainian officials in Florida, a senior U.S. official told Reuters.
Ukraine attacks oil tankers
Ukraine struck two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea using domestically produced Sea Baby naval drones, according to an official in Ukraine’s security services who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday. The official said the two tankers, Kairos and Virat, were sanctioned by the West, and capable of transporting oil worth almost $70 million.
“This will deal a significant blow to the transportation of Russian oil,” a Ukrainian official told CNN, which also reported on the strikes.
The strikes on Kairos and Virat prompted rescue operations by the Turkish coast guard, as well as other crews. Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the attacks on the tankers took place within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone.
Kairos caught fire, but all 25 crew members were safely evacuated, Uraloglu said. While authorities earlier reported a fire in Virat’s engine room, they clarified that it was not set ablaze and no evacuation request was made, Uraloglu said.
Ukrainian official resigns
Amid the attacks is a “perfect storm” and a “a lot of uncertainty,” a Ukrainian official told Axios after the resignation of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak on Friday. Yermak stepped down hours after his house was raided by investigators from an anti-corruption agency. High-ranking officials in Zelenskyy’s administration were accused of embezzling money from the energy sector.
Despite not being named in the allegations himself, Yermak faced pressure to resign. Speaking to Axios in an interview Tuesday, Yermak defended Zelenskyy’s anti-corruption record. He said it’s important for investigations to continue, but they should not be “be politicized.” Yermak’s focus, he said, is on ending the war.
Zelenskyy said in a video that he plans to appoint a new chief of staff soon.
“There will be no mistakes on our side,” Zelenskyy said. “We do not have the right to ease the pressure. We do not have the right to retreat or to quarrel among ourselves. If we lose our unity, we risk losing everything.”
