Two killed in Russia as Ukraine peace talks press on

At least two people were killed in a drone attack in Russia’s southwestern Saratov region, and parts of Ukraine went without power after targeted assaults on energy infrastructure, local authorities said on Saturday, as US-led peace talks on ending the war press on.

The drone attack damaged a residential building and several windows were also blown out at a nursery and clinic, said Saratov regional governor Roman Busargin.

Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

In Ukraine, Russia launched overnight drone and missile strikes on five Ukrainian regions, targeting energy and port infrastructure.

An attack on the Black Sea city of Odesa ignited grain silos at the port, according to Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba.

The strikes also damaged energy infrastructure in settlements across the region, he said.

Energy facilities in the Chernihiv, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions were also damaged, Mr Kuleba said.

Similar Russian strikes left parts of the Kherson region, including the regional capital, also called Kherson, without power on Saturday, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call “weaponising” the cold.

The latest round of attacks came after Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Friday that Russian police and National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas and oversee the industry-rich region, even if a peace settlement ends Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

This underscores Moscow’s ambition to maintain its presence in Donbas post-war. Ukraine is likely to reject such a stance as US-led negotiations drag on.

Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine’s forces have withdrawn from the front line, Mr Ushakov told Russian business daily Kommersant.

Meanwhile, Germany will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday for talks as peace efforts gain momentum and European leaders seek to steer negotiations.

For months, US negotiators have tried to navigate the demands of each side as US President Donald Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war while growing increasingly exasperated by delays.

The search for possible compromises has run into a major obstacle over who keeps Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russian forces.