In a shocking turn of events, Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, early on Saturday morning. This devastating assault came as US, Ukrainian, and Russian negotiators were meeting in the United Arab Emirates for the second day of tripartite peace talks.
“Peace efforts? Trilateral meeting in the UAE? Diplomacy? For Ukrainians, this was another night of Russian terror,” lamented Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, condemning the cynical timing of the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed these sentiments, stating that agreements on air defence support made with US President Donald Trump in Davos this week must be “fully implemented.”
The strikes hit critical infrastructure, leaving widespread outages of heat, water, and power across the capital. One person was killed, and at least 15 were injured as fires broke out in several buildings struck by drone debris. Engineers in Kyiv face the daunting task of reconnecting thousands of apartment blocks to heating, with over 6,000 left without on Saturday morning.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that approximately 1.2 million consumers across the country were without power, including 800,000 in the capital. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had used 396 drones and missiles in the attack, with officials warning that up to 80% of Ukraine now faced emergency power cuts.
The strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv occurred as the first direct contact between Ukrainian and Russian officials on the US-backed peace proposal took place. The discussions 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.
However, the latest Russian assault, coupled with Moscow’s insistence on controlling the eastern Donbas region, has cast doubt on the seriousness of its commitment to the peace talks. As Ukrainians endure another brutal night of “Russian terror,” the path to a diplomatic resolution remains uncertain.
