Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of launching an unprecedented attack on Ukraine, surpassing any terrorist act in history, as additional Russian assaults led to the shutdown of nuclear facilities. Zelensky called for global repercussions against Russia, emphasizing the critical need for security amid ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that have resulted in power outages, potentially bringing temperatures down to -25C in the upcoming days.
The strikes by Russia targeted essential facilities supporting Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, causing a reduction in power generation and the shutdown of one plant, as reported by Zelensky. The damage to high-voltage substations forced nuclear plants to discharge, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents of the city about the challenging days ahead, with severe cold temperatures expected and emergency power outages persisting due to the energy system’s strain from recent attacks. Reports indicated that residents in the capital were receiving only limited electricity supply.
Recent hostilities in the Zaporizhzhia and Polohy districts resulted in 577 strikes on 30 settlements, leading to casualties, including one fatality and eight injuries, as confirmed by Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov. Additionally, a 10-year-old boy was wounded during overnight shelling in the Dnipropetrovsk region, while two individuals lost their lives in the Donetsk region on February 7.
During a press briefing, Zelensky disclosed that the US had set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to reach a resolution to end the longstanding conflict. He mentioned that failing to meet the deadline could result in increased pressure from the Trump administration on both sides to expedite peace efforts.
Zelensky acknowledged the challenges in the recent trilateral talks mediated by the US in Abu Dhabi, where disagreements persisted over key issues, notably Ukraine’s stance on the Donbas region and Russia’s demands. The Ukrainian leader expressed uncertainty about a proposed US plan to establish the Donbas region as a free economic zone, highlighting differing perspectives on its implementation.
Zelensky mentioned the upcoming trilateral talks planned to be held in the US, likely in Miami, as part of the ongoing peace negotiations. The latest developments underscore the complexity of finding common ground between the conflicting parties as they navigate towards a potential resolution of the conflict.