Ahead of negotiations to resolve the four-year conflict, Kyiv claimed Tuesday that Russia had launched the “most powerful” strike of the year on Ukraine’s damaged energy systems overnight, leaving hundreds of thousands without heat in bitterly cold weather.
In February 2022, when temperatures fell to their lowest since the war began, Russia launched strikes that damaged a World War II monument from the Soviet era and killed two teens in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
The strike occurred the day before negotiators from Russia and Ukraine were scheduled to convene in Abu Dhabi for a second round of US-brokered negotiations.
“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, denouncing the attack.
He said Russia had “once again disregarded the efforts of the American side”.
US President Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin to “end the war”, adding that he “would like” his Russian counterpart to extend a brief halt in attacks due to the frigid temperatures.
NATO chief Mark Rutte, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday, said “Russian attacks like those last night, do not signal seriousness about peace”.
An air alert blared out across Kyiv during Rutte’s visit.
AFP journalists heard explosions across the capital overnight, and residents in hundreds of buildings woke to find their heating cut off as temperatures dipped towards minus 20C.
More than 1,100 residential buildings remained without heat as of late Tuesday, Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Some residents gathered around a damaged building, stepping over creaking debris and a thick layer of ice coating the ground.
“Our windows are broken and we have no heating,” Anastasia Grytsenko told AFP. “We don’t know what to do.”
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed it had launched “a massive strike” against “Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy facilities”.
The Kremlin had last week said it agreed to a US request not to strike Kyiv for seven days, ending Sunday.
Ukraine had not reported large-scale Russian attacks on the capital last week, while denouncing continued attacks in other parts of the country.
“Several types of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, were used to strike high-rise buildings and thermal power plants,” Energy Minister Denys Shmygal said.
“Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heat in the harshest winter frosts,” he added.
Tuesday’s strike on energy facilities was “the most powerful” since the start of 2026, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider confirmed.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had attacked with 71 missiles and 450 attack drones.
Six people were wounded in the capital, officials said.
A drone strike on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia also killed two teenagers and wounded at least 11 people, officials said.
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