Russia sent three drones at a substation critical to the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant during today's large-scale attack, Ukraine's Energy Minister Shmyhal said. He announced it on Telegram and said the IAEA has been informed.

Shmyhal, who is also First Deputy Prime Minister, called the strike a serious step in the escalation. He said Russia used 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles overnight, and that energy facilities were its primary targets. At a meeting with G7 and EU ambassadors he said such actions threaten Europe's nuclear safety.

He added that Ukraine expects an appropriate response from international partners. That appeal, made to diplomats and the IAEA rather than to the grid operators, suggests Kyiv wants this treated as an attack on nuclear safety and not as one more hit on infrastructure. Whether partners answer in anything beyond words is what will give the framing weight.

The US will hold trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, a senior US official said on Monday. A Kremlin aide has warned that massive Ukrainian attacks during the November 4 celebrations could affect Russia's attitude to the negotiations. Strikes have so far run alongside the scheduling of the talks rather than derailing it, and there is no sign yet that today's attack changes their pace or terms.

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