Ukraine left freezing as Russia bombs energy grid before peace talks
Largest barrage of the year hits Kyiv and Kharkiv, damaging power plants. Zelensky says Moscow chose terror over diplomacy as talks loom
Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack this year on Ukraine overnight, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating in freezing temperatures on Tuesday, just one day ahead of fresh talks aiming to find an end to the four-year war.
The strikes hit as Ukraine was experiencing the coldest temperatures during the Russian invasion and damaged an iconic Soviet-era WWII monument.
They also came a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were due to meet for a second round of talks in Abu Dhabi.
“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people is more important to Russia than turning to diplomacy,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media, denouncing the attack.
The president’s comments came as he welcomed Nato chief Mark Rutte, who arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday for a surprise visit just hours after the barrage began.
Zelensky posted a video of the pair laying flowers at a memorial in central Kyiv to soldiers killed in the Russian invasion.