In brief

• Zelensky says the EU will apply a special emergency aid mechanism for Ukraine after talks with Ursula von der Leyen.
• Russian strikes have disrupted electricity, water and heating, with Kyiv and several regions hit hardest.
• The Commission is holding a meeting on urgent needs, and Ukraine-EU diplomacy continues ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11.

Emergency mechanism agreed after strikes on energy infrastructure

Zelensky said Russian strikes have left many Ukrainian cities and communities without reliable electricity, water and heat. He named Kyiv as the hardest-hit area, followed by the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Donetsk and Kherson regions (ЄС 9 листопада обговорить термінову допомогу Україні через механізм цивільного захисту – Українська правда) (ЄС запускає екстрену допомогу Україні через проблеми з енергетикою – Espreso) (Зеленський: ЄС застосує спеціальний механізм для допомоги Україні у надзвичайних ситуаціях – Європейська правда). He said he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed that the EU would use a special emergency assistance mechanism that allows funds to reach Ukraine quickly. Teams on both sides are already working on the details (ЄС застосує спецмеханізм із допомоги Україні у надзвичайних ситуаціях – Зеленський – Українська правда).

Talks on winter preparedness and EU accession

The two leaders also discussed additional energy and humanitarian support to help Ukraine prepare for winter. Zelensky welcomed the positive assessment of Ukraine's progress in the Commission's annual enlargement report, published earlier in the week. He said all negotiating clusters should be opened and chapters begun to be closed (Энергетическая помощь, евроинтеграция, встреча в Абу-Даби: Зеленский провел разговор с Урсулой фон дер Ляйен – NV).

European Commission confirms follow-up meeting

The Commission's chief spokesperson, Paula Piñho, said Commission and Ukrainian officials would meet on Monday afternoon to identify the most urgent needs of Ukrainian cities and communities that the EU can help meet, including through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. She described the humanitarian situation as extremely difficult and said Russia was deliberately attacking infrastructure that Ukrainians rely on to survive the winter. Further details of the aid will be set after these consultations.

Diplomacy ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

Zelensky said the two also coordinated positions ahead of a meeting in Abu Dhabi. He pointed to recent talks in Brussels, where Ukrainian teams worked on a recovery plan and European security guarantees, and said the goal was for the trilateral format to deliver results. Negotiations between Ukrainian and other delegations are scheduled for November 10–11 in the UAE.