Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s two largest cities, early Saturday, coinciding with the second day of tripartite peace talks involving the US, Ukraine, and Russia in the United Arab Emirates.
Russian Attacks Amid Peace Talks
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, stated that the attacks demonstrated a lack of commitment to peace, saying, “Peace efforts? Trilateral meeting in the UAE? Diplomacy? For Ukrainians, this was another night of Russian terror.” He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the strikes “right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process,” targeting both the Ukrainian people and the negotiation table.
Impact on Ukrainian Cities
Kyiv and other cities are experiencing widespread outages of heat, water, and power following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Officials in Kyiv reported one fatality and at least 15 injuries from strikes that continued until morning. Engineers are working to restore heating to 6,000 apartment buildings in Kyiv, 4,000 more than previous days, including many recently reconnected.
Approximately 1.2 million consumers across the country are without power, including 800,000 in Kyiv. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia used 396 drones and missiles in the attacks, with officials warning that up to 80% of Ukraine now faces emergency power cuts.
Donbas and Air Defense
The Russian strikes occurred as the first of two days of tripartite peace talks were underway, with Russia continuing to insist on control of the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, raising doubts about Moscow’s commitment to peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that agreements on air defense made with US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos must be “fully implemented.” Discussions between Zelenskyy and Trump focused on air defense support, but specific agreements were not disclosed.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported one confirmed death and four injuries, with three of the injured hospitalized. Fires broke out in several buildings hit by drone debris, and heat and water services were interrupted in parts of the capital.
Approximately 600,000 Kyiv residents have temporarily left the city during the January power crisis. In Kharkiv, a frequent target near the Russian border, 25 drones struck several districts over two and a half hours, injuring at least 14 people. The drones reportedly hit a dormitory for displaced people, a hospital, and a maternity hospital.
The peace talks, the first known direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian officials on the US-backed proposal, focused on “the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process,” according to Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov. Initial US drafts have faced criticism from both Kyiv and Western Europe, and Russia has also expressed concerns.
Both sides identify the fate of the eastern Donbas region as a key issue in reaching a settlement to the conflict, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
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