Kyiv: Ukraine has strongly condemned Russia following a massive drone and missile assault early Saturday that targeted the nation’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv. The widespread bombardment occurred even as negotiators from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia convened in the United Arab Emirates for the second day of tripartite peace talks. Officials in Kyiv confirmed that the fresh strikes resulted in one fatality and left at least 15 people injured.
Reacting to the assault on critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticized the timing of the attack relative to ongoing diplomatic efforts. “Peace efforts? Trilateral meeting in the UAE? Diplomacy? For Ukrainians, this was another night of Russian terror,” Sybiha stated.
He further added, “Cynically, Putin ordered a brutal massive missile strike against Ukraine right while delegations are meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance the America-led peace process. His missiles hit not only our people but also the negotiation table.”
INFRASTRUCTURE CRIPPLED BY 396 DRONES AND MISSILES
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia deployed 396 drones and missiles during Saturday’s offensive. The sheer scale of the attack has forced officials to warn that up to 80% of the country now faces emergency power cuts in the immediate aftermath.
Local authorities provided specific casualty updates, with the Mayor of Kyiv confirming one death and four injuries. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Kharkiv reported that 19 people had been injured during the sustained assault on the city on Saturday morning.
The targeted strikes on energy infrastructure have left Kyiv and other cities grappling with widespread outages of heat, water, and power amidst harsh winter conditions, with temperatures currently at sub-zero levels. Engineers in the capital reported that 6,000 apartment blocks were left without heat on Saturday morning. Estimates indicate that at least 1.2 million consumers nationwide are without power, including 800,000 residents in Kyiv.
ZELENSKY CALLS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF DAVOS AGREEMENTS
The Russian strikes coincide with the first trilateral talks aimed at ending the war since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Negotiators meeting in Abu Dhabi face significant hurdles, as Russia continues to insist on controlling the eastern Donbas region. Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, including parts of the Donbas territory.
Speaking after the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that air defence agreements reached with US President Donald Trump in Davos must be “fully implemented.”
“The main target of the Russians was the energy infrastructure,” Zelensky added.
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