Ahead of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, Moscow has launched a renewed offensive against Kiev. The attack came even after Trump announced a ceasefire between the two countries until February 1 due to “freezing temperatures”.
Russia has attempted to target Ukraine’s electricity network, striking substations, transformers, turbines and generators at power plants in its strikes. (AFP)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Moscow had fired about 450 long-range drones and 70 different types of missiles into Ukraine in a major attack overnight.
Both Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to participate in US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this week on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be talks about ending the all-out war that Russia started nearly four years ago.
“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important than diplomacy for Russia,” Ukrainian President Zelensky said, urging allies to send more air defense supplies to Kiev to apply “maximum pressure” on Russia to stop its full-scale aggression.
Russia targets Ukraine’s power grid, national museumRussia has attempted to target Ukraine’s electricity network, striking substations, transformers, turbines and generators at power plants in its strikes.
With the attacks, Moscow is trying to undermine Ukrainians’ willingness to fight by increasing suffering for civilians, the AP reported.
The overnight attack allegedly hit thermal power plants of Ukraine’s largest private power company, DTEK, in what became the ninth major attack since October.
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The strikes bombarded at least five regions of Ukraine and specifically targeted the power grid, Zelensky said, adding that officials said at least 10 people were injured.
The Russian attack on Ukraine also damaged the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II at the foot of the Motherland Monument in Kiev, Ukraine’s Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna told AP.
“It is symbolic and condemnable at the same time: the aggressor state strikes at the place of memory of the fight against aggression in the 20th century, repeating the crime in the 21st,” the minister said.
More than 1,000 apartments in Kiev are without electricityKyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said early Tuesday that 1,170 apartment buildings in the capital were left without heating, the AP reported. It was a major setback to previous repair programs that had restored power to all but 80 apartment buildings in Kiev.
Meanwhile, five people were injured in the attack in Kiev that also damaged and set fire to residential buildings, a kindergarten and a gas station, the State Emergency Service said.
Moscow also hit Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv and southern Odessa, with injuries reported in the latter region.
