Ukraine mourns 29 dead as Russian strikes hit village and hospital ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

Ukrainian rescue teams continued searching for survivors on Tuesday after a Russian strike devastated the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing 29 people and leaving many still trapped under rubble. Acting regional governor Mykhailo Semikin said 48 residents remained missing, while President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that rescue operations were proceeding only as security conditions allowed.

The same day, a Russian attack on a hospital in Kharkiv wounded 73 patients and damaged the cardiology department. Local leader Oleksandr Ganzha reported two fatalities and 20 injuries from a separate strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The attacks occurred as diplomatic talks are set to begin in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, involving negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States under President Donald Trump's initiative to end the conflict that began in 2022. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions will focus on post-war security, de-escalation, humanitarian aid and steps toward peace.

Zelensky, speaking in Berlin before the Abu Dhabi meetings, highlighted the contrast between a recently ended local ceasefire in the Kherson region and the new violence, stating that the killings sent an opposite signal to any progress toward peace. He met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss strengthening air defence and support for Ukraine's energy sector.

In Moscow, the defence ministry claimed it had carried out a strike on energy facilities and port infrastructure in the Odesa region, while Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported the destruction of nearly 500 drones approaching the capital region. Britain and France announced that about 2,800 troops from ten European nations will conduct joint exercises in Poland this month, preparing a multinational force that could be deployed after a ceasefire is reached.