Russia has launched renewed attacks on power plants and critical infrastructure in various regions, including the capital Kiev, as temperatures plummeted to minus 20 degrees Celsius amid a cold snap across Ukraine.
Russia launched the attack after a week-long ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump expired. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday night that Ukraine had suffered heavy losses in the Russian attack.
He said more than 200 workers were working to restore power to Kiev after Russia’s deadly attacks on energy infrastructure. More than 1,100 apartments in Kiev are without power.
Seven people have been killed and 15 injured in a Russian cluster bomb attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka, the regional head said.
Ukrainian President Zelensky wrote on social media on Wednesday, “The most difficult situation to date is in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy regions and Poltava regions. The situation is also difficult in the Dnipro and Cherkasy regions.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called Russia’s attack on Ukraine in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius “barbaric” and “particularly despicable”.
Starmer made the comments after a phone call with US President Trump following the Russian attack.
Trump had previously asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold off on attacking Ukraine for a week during the bitter winter, and Trump said Putin had agreed.
On Tuesday, Trump said, “Putin has kept his word by taking a week off.” Asked if he was disappointed by Russia’s renewed attacks, Trump said, “The deal was made on Sunday. And Putin went from Sunday to Sunday.
“It’s a lot. A week. We’ll take whatever we can get in this cold.” Trump is leading the effort to end the war in Ukraine. He has also hosted a Russia-Ukraine summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
However, Russia has been rejecting calls for a ceasefire. It is still unclear whether the second round of talks in Abha will make any significant progress. There is also no sign of any imminent progress in ending the fighting due to the ongoing Russian offensive.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had carried out more than 100 drone strikes in the country since early Wednesday. Most were intercepted, but drone strikes and debris were reported in 14 locations. There were also civilian casualties in several areas.
