Zelenskyy urges allies for more air-defence systems as Russia launches 450 drones, 70 missiles at Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Russia launched approximately 450 long-range drones and 70 diverse missiles at Ukraine during a massive overnight assault.

The attack took place just one day prior to the US-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The talks are aimed at ending the full-scale war.

The strikes across at least five Ukrainian regions specifically targeted the electrical infrastructure, Zelenskyy said, continuing Moscow’s strategy to deprive civilians of electricity, warmth and water during the harshest winter in recent memory.

In Kyiv, temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) overnight and stood at minus 16 C (minus 3 F) on Tuesday.

“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people is more important to Russia than diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.

At least 10 individuals sustained injuries, as reported by Associated Press, citing officials.

Officials have characterised recent discussions between Moscow and Kyiv representatives as productive. However, after twelve months of struggle, the Trump administration remains in pursuit of a breakthrough regarding critical disputes like the status of Ukrainian territories currently held by Russia’s military, and a holistic peace deal seems remote, reported AP.

The Abu Dhabi summit was set for Wednesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte paid an official visit to Kyiv on Tuesday to reinforce support for Ukraine's military efforts.

Last week, a Kremlin representative stated that Russia agreed to suspend strikes on Kyiv for 7 days, until 1 February, due to the extreme cold, following a direct appeal from US President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine’s primary private energy firm, DTEK, said that the midnight raid struck its thermal power stations in the ninth significant offensive since October.

In Kyiv, officials said that five residents were hurt in the attacks that wrecked and ignited apartment complexes, a pre-school and a refuelling station in different sectors of the city, according to the State Emergency Service.

By dawn, 1,170 residential buildings in the capital lacked heating, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. This undermined frantic restoration efforts that had successfully restored power to all but 80 apartment buildings, he remarked.

The bombardment also damaged the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, located near the Motherland Monument in Kyiv, Ukrainian Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna said.