Russia attacks Ukraine's transport infrastructure ahead of new peace talks. Announcement of the Russian army
Ukrainian war veteran on the subway in Kyiv. Photo: Serhii Okunev / AFP / Profimedia
Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine, despite the announced temporary pause in attacks against the energy infrastructure, according to the report of the Russian Ministry of Defense published on Saturday, the DPA and Agerpres agencies report.
In a statement on Telegram, the Russian ministry claims that during the night of Friday to Saturday, its forces struck targets of Ukraine's transport infrastructure and ammunition depots used by the Ukrainian army.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 85 drones overnight. So far there is no information about a possible Russian attack on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Russia, for its part, claims to have repelled attacks by Ukraine during that time, reporting the downing of 47 drones and four guided bombs, without giving further details on the Ukrainian targets or any damage caused.
Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were to resume on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, after a break of several months. Direct contacts began last weekend with the aim of exploring a possible negotiated solution to the conflict.
Ukrainians consider peace talks in Abu Dhabi “just a show”: “Russia will not sign any agreement. We must prepare for the worst”
Russia has agreed, according to US President Donald Trump, to temporarily suspend its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure amid extremely cold temperatures and damage so far from Russian bombing that has left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without electricity and heat.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the limited ceasefire would last only until Sunday, February 1, to create a “good basis” for negotiations.
Donald Trump had previously mentioned a week-long break, which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said there is no formal agreement on such a truce, but has vowed that Ukraine will not attack Russian energy targets if Moscow follows through on its announced promise.
Zelenskiy confirmed on Friday that no Ukrainian strikes had targeted energy facilities in Russia and suggested that, in practice, the week-long pause effectively began then.
Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that Russia had instead focused its attacks on Ukraine's transport infrastructure.
The Ukrainian president had recently asked his allies to speed up the delivery of promised air defense systems, citing intense Russian attacks on his country's energy facilities that have caused widespread power and heat blackouts, worsening civilian living conditions in freezing temperatures.
Cascading blackouts in Ukraine. Cause: “technical faults” on the lines connecting the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Ukraine
German Minister Boris Pistorius: “I see no sign that Russia really wants peace”
In comments to the RND media group published on Saturday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that while Donald Trump had boosted diplomatic efforts to end the war, Moscow's actions told a different story.
“So far … I don't see any sign that Russia really wants peace,” Pistorius said, recalling that during US-mediated talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Putin bombed Ukraine “in a way almost unprecedented in this war.”
Such attacks go beyond military objectives. “This is an act of terrorism directed exclusively against the civilian population in the dead of winter with temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius,” said Pistorius.
The Russians used a rare weapon last night. Kiev denounces Putin's “barbaric and cynical attack” during peace talks
