A series of Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left over 1 million residents of Kyiv without power, water or heating. The Ukrainian parliament building is among the thousands of structures affected, with lawmakers forced to work remotely due to the lack of basic services.
Yuriy Sak, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s defence ministry, said the attacks were part of Russia’s “brutal” strategy to “fracture communities, paralyse the economy and push the population to the brink” during the harsh winter. Global Rights Compliance president Wayne Jordash KC warned that the strikes on civilian infrastructure amounted to “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes” that were “intentionally condemning many of Ukraine’s civilian population to cold, dark conditions.”
Despite the ongoing attacks, envoys for US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss a potential peace deal. The envoys, including Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, described the talks as “very positive” and “constructive,” though no agreement has yet been reached.
In a show of defiance, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina wore a t-shirt at the Australian Open with the message “I need your help to protect Ukrainian women and children but I can’t talk about it here.” Svitolina said she had narrowly avoided an explosion near her home before travelling to the tournament.
Ukraine’s new defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, also announced plans to replace Chinese-made drones with domestically produced models, in an effort to reduce the country’s reliance on imports and sanctioned supply chains. The minister said testing on the new drones could begin as soon as this month.
As Ukraine’s allies in Europe and the UK continue to provide military and humanitarian aid, the country faces a daunting winter ahead, with Russia’s systematic attacks on critical infrastructure creating what Jordash described as “brutal conditions” for the civilian population.
