At the same time that attacks are intensifying, Ukraine, European allies and the United States have agreed on a response mechanism to possible violations of the ceasefire by Russia
Ukraine was once again the target of a large-scale attack last night, with Russian forces launching ballistic missiles and drones against several energy infrastructures across the country. The offensive, which left at least nine people injured, occurred at a strategically chosen moment.
“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize the population is more important for Russia than choosing diplomacy,” wrote Zelensky on the social network X, at a time when the country is facing low temperatures. This Tuesday, temperatures in Ukraine plummeted to -17°C in Kiev and -23°C in Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city.
Recovery efforts following the Russian strike across our regions are ongoing. Once again, there was a targeted attack specifically on energy facilities – the Russians used a significant number of ballistic missiles in combination with other missiles, more than 70 missiles in…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa)
The impact on the capital was immediate. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that 1,170 residential buildings were left without heat following the attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, also reinforced the scale of the offensive, stating that Russia launched “450 drones and more than 60 missiles” in a single night, deliberately waiting for temperatures to drop to reach the Ukrainian energy system. “Neither the diplomatic efforts planned in Abu Dhabi this week nor his promises to the United States have stopped him from continuing to terrorize ordinary people in the harshest winter,” Sybiha wrote in X.
The temperature in Ukraine is below -20°C (-4°F). Overnight, Russia attacked with 450 drones and over 60 missiles, including ballistic ones.
Primary targets: energy and residential houses in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa, and other regions.
Putin waited for the…
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha)
The attacks are part of a broader offensive against several Ukrainian cities, including locations hundreds of kilometers from the front line, with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones crossing the country’s night sky. This wave of bombings also marks the end of a brief energy ceasefire, during which Moscow had agreed to temporarily suspend attacks on critical infrastructure.
The resumption of attacks on the capital comes just days after United States President Donald Trump stated, on January 29, that he personally asked Vladimir Putin to refrain from attacking Kiev. The appeal made the Kremlin commit to suspending attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities, a measure that would only be in effect until February 1.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, in the attacks in the last few hours, Russia used four Zircon/Onix anti-ship missiles, 32 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, seven Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles and 28 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles.
Ukraine, US and European allies define military response
At the same time as attacks are intensifying, Ukraine, European allies and the United States have agreed on a response mechanism to possible violations of the ceasefire by Russia. According to sources involved in the negotiations, persistent violations could trigger a coordinated military response from Europe and the US.
The plan was discussed in several meetings held in December and January between Ukrainian, European and North American officials, as part of the definition of deterrence strategies.
The proposal provides that any Russian violation of the ceasefire will provoke a reaction within 24 hours, starting with a diplomatic warning and potentially evolving, if necessary, into action by the Ukrainian army aimed at stopping the violation.
