Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday that Russia conducted a large-scale overnight attack using an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles—just one day before peace talks involving Moscow and Washington are set to resume in Abu Dhabi.
Zelenskyy reported that the assault included over 70 missiles (32 ballistic and 28 cruise among them) plus more than 450 attack drones targeting eight regions, such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said five people were injured and three others rescued in Kharkiv after a drone strike sparked a fire in a residential high-rise building.
“The Russian army took advantage of the U.S. proposal to temporarily halt strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait for the coldest days of the year—when temperatures across large parts of Ukraine drop below -20°C (-4°F),” Zelenskyy posted on X.
These large-scale strikes occurred after President noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a one-week pause on attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, amid freezing temperatures causing widespread power and heating outages.
Trump announced the weeklong pause on Thursday, but Russia resumed its attacks several days before the period expired—striking a maternity ward in Zaporizhzhia and , leaving 12 people dead.
The White House did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
On Monday, residents sought shelter underground in subway and metro stations as air raid alerts blared throughout the night.
“With temperatures dropping to -25°C (-13°F), Russia is once again deliberately aiming to leave hundreds of thousands of people—including children and the elderly— ,” said Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s prime minister.
“This is an attempt to freeze civilians into surrender. Thanks to Ukraine’s , most missiles and drones were intercepted,” she added.
Zelenskyy said his negotiating team’s work will be “adjusted accordingly” as Ukraine prepares for another round of meetings with U.S. and Russian officials in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday and Thursday.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev in Florida on Saturday and called the discussions constructive amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
“We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward in Ukraine and grateful for @POTUS’s critical leadership in seeking a durable, lasting peace,” Witkoff wrote on X.