Russia resumed attacks on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said, despite a brief ceasefire announced earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump. The renewed assault came amid extreme cold weather.
President Trump had stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and other cities during the cold spell, with the Kremlin saying the ceasefire would remain in effect until Sunday. However, Ukraine has said that Moscow did not stop its attacks.
According to Kyiv’s military administration chief Tymur Tkachenko, Russia launched another major overnight attack despite freezing temperatures. Emergency services reported that three people were injured in Kyiv.
In the eastern city of Kharkiv, two people were injured in Russian shelling, regional military chief Oleh Syniehubov said. He noted that hours-long attacks targeted energy infrastructure with the apparent aim of depriving the city of heating during the cold.
Officials said that to protect the system, heating was temporarily cut off in more than 800 homes. Residents have been urged to move to emergency shelters operating around the clock if necessary.
Nighttime temperatures dropped to minus 17 degrees Celsius in Kyiv and minus 23 degrees Celsius in Kharkiv.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is nearing its fourth year this month. While Washington continues efforts to broker a peace agreement, initial talks held in Abu Dhabi failed to produce a breakthrough. A second round of talks is expected to begin on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recent efforts to ease tensions had helped build trust, but the issue of territorial control remains unresolved. Russia is seeking full control of the Donetsk region, a demand Kyiv continues to reject.
According to an AFP analysis, Russian forces accelerated their advance in Ukraine in January, capturing around 481 square kilometers of territory—nearly double the amount taken in the previous month.
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