Russia carried out a massive overnight assault on Ukraine, firing around 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles of different types, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
The attack targeted at least five regions, focusing on Ukraine’s power grid, as part of Moscow’s ongoing effort to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, and running water during the coldest winter in years. At least 10 people were reported wounded.
“Russia values terrorizing civilians during the coldest days of winter more than diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said. Temperatures in Kyiv fell to minus 20 degrees Celsius overnight and remained at minus 16 C on Tuesday. He urged allies to increase air defense support and maintain “maximum pressure” on Russia to end its full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The attack came a day before Russia and Ukraine were scheduled to attend U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, aimed at ending the war. Officials described recent discussions between the two sides as constructive, but key issues such as the status of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories remain unresolved.
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NATO support
During a visit to Kyiv, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed the Ukrainian parliament, pledging rapid and consistent support as peace efforts continue. “Be assured that NATO stands with Ukraine and is ready to do so for years to come. Your security is our security. Your peace is our peace,” he said. NATO members have supplied 75% of all missiles delivered to Ukraine since last summer, including 90% of those used for air defense.
Power grid and civilian impacts
Despite a Kremlin pledge last week to halt strikes on Kyiv until Feb. 1 at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia continued aerial attacks. The overnight assault damaged Ukraine’s power infrastructure, including thermal power plants operated by the private company DTEK, marking the ninth major strike since October.
In Kyiv, five people were wounded, and residential buildings, a kindergarten, and a gas station were damaged or set on fire. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 1,170 apartment buildings were left without heating, hindering ongoing repair work. Other affected areas included northeastern Kharkiv and southern Odesa.
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The attacks also hit the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, near the Motherland Monument. Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna condemned the strike as both symbolic and cynical, saying, “The aggressor state strikes a place of memory about the fight against aggression in the 20th century, repeating crimes in the 21st.”