In a move that will surprise absolutely no one familiar with the concept of irony, Russia spent the hours before upcoming peace talks launching more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones at Ukraine's energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 12 Ukrainian regions came under attack overnight, with the capital Kyiv hit hardest. Nine people were hurt across the country, including one child - because nothing says "let's negotiate" like a kindergarten getting damaged.

The attacks come just before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to take part in trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week. Zelensky, writing on Telegram, suggested Moscow was preparing for the talks by launching attacks on Ukraine's "critical infrastructure." It's a strategy that might charitably be called "aggressive pre-negotiation," and less charitably called "what Russia does every time."

Temperatures are dropping in Ukraine, and parts of the country have already seen their first winter snow - which makes the timing of strikes on electricity, water, and heating supplies particularly charming. "The situation in the capital is difficult, with disruptions to electricity, water, and heating supplies," Zelensky said. "Residential buildings, the North Bridge, and a kindergarten have been damaged." In the Kyiv region, strikes hit substations connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine - because why not add nuclear-adjacent anxiety to the mix?

By Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the city's water supply system was back to operating normally, and around 60% of the city's apartment buildings were connected to the heating system. Energy minister Denys Shmyhal said there were power cuts in five regions but did not specify how many homes were affected. Zelensky added that beyond Kyiv, substations were damaged in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv, and Dnipro regions.

The latest barrage follows a Thursday visit to the White House by Russian and Ukrainian delegations hosted by US First Lady Melania Trump. She called for a "more enduring" ceasefire in Ukraine following a truce last week in the southern region of Kherson. During a six-day ceasefire, hundreds of residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky - facing starvation and constant bombardment - were able to evacuate. Both Moscow and Kyiv credited Trump with brokering the truce. "The lives of innocent people must transcend the division of war. I hope Oleshky inspires greater peace," she said. A noble sentiment, now competing with the sound of drones.

Earlier this week, a number of people were killed when glide bombs hit an aid centre near Zaporizhihia, with the death toll rising to 55 as teams searched deeper into the ruins. Nothing says "peace talks" like a rising body count at a humanitarian aid centre.

Zelensky, in his Telegram post on Saturday, said Ukraine was counting on increased bilateral support from the United States. "We are counting on unity between both parties on issues of security, support for Ukraine, condemnation of Russian aggression, and increased sanctions pressure on Putin," he wrote. "The resolve and consistency of the United States in supporting Ukraine are of great importance in bringing peace closer." Meanwhile, Zelensky's spokesperson would not be drawn on reports that the Ukrainian president is to be invited to the UK for a state visit next year - presumably because there are slightly more pressing matters, like keeping the lights on.

Additional reporting by Daniel Wittenberg.