Russia launches record missile barrage on Ukraine’s power grid ahead of peace talks

Temperatures in Kyiv dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius during the night and stood at minus 16 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

3 min readFeb 4, 2026 11:10 AM IST

Firefighters put out the fire in an apartment house following a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo)

Russia launched a significant attack overnight on Ukraine on Tuesday (Feb 3), with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Moscow of breaking its commitment to halt strikes on energy infrastructure.

The attack, which wounded 10 people, included hundreds of drones and 32 ballistic missiles that targeted Ukraine’s power grid, leaving thousands without heating in freezing temperatures.

Russia’s missile salvo comes as both countries prepared for more talks on ending Moscow’s invasion.

The Ukrainian leader said that the bombardment aiming at the power grid was a part of Moscow’s ongoing campaign to deny civilians light, heating and running water amid the coldest winter in years.

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

Temperatures in Kyiv dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius during the night and stood at minus 16 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

We await the reaction of America to the Russian strikes. It was the U.S. proposal—to halt strikes on energy during diplomacy and severe winter weather. The President of the United States made the request personally. Russia responded with a record number of ballistic missiles. pic.twitter.com/3SUyXk6aAk

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 3, 2026

‘Really bad signal’

In a show of support, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Kyiv and said that the Russian strikes raise concerns over Moscow’s intentions on the eve of talks, terming them as “a really bad signal.”

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He further expressed confidence, stating that the attacks only strengthened Ukrainians’ resolve.

The talks between the countries are scheduled for Wednesday (Feb 4) and Thursday (Feb 5) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to discuss how to end the fighting, “but no one is going to surrender.”

Troops will be deployed in Ukraine instantly after peace deal with Russia

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Rutte on Tuesday said that allied troops will be deployed in Ukraine immediately after a peace deal is reached with Russia.

He said that the troops will comprise ground, air, and naval forces from the countries part of the “coalition of the willing.”

“Ukraine needs strong support. The coalition of the willing has made progress on guarantees, as mentioned by Zelenskyy. As soon as a peace deal is signed, there will instantly appear armed forces, planes in the sky, and maritime support from those in NATO who have agreed,” Rutte said.

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