Kyiv
—
Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kiev with a ballistic missile early Tuesday, local authorities reported, following an agreement between Russia and the United States to suspend attacks on major cities and infrastructure as the country grapples with plummeting winter temperatures.
CNN staff in Kiev reported hearing several strong explosions in the city.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week agreed to halt attacks on major Ukrainian cities and infrastructure until Sunday, the Kremlin said, following a “personal request” from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The suspension also followed trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi, the first since the February 2022 invasion of Moscow.
According to reports, several multi-storey residential buildings were damaged, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kiev’s military junta, wrote in a telegram.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Dnipro in eastern Ukraine was also hit by a ballistic missile.
Ukrainian authorities say there have been no reported attacks on energy facilities or major cities since last Thursday, but Russia continues to attack logistics routes and transport infrastructure, with deadly results.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending the war in Ukraine will be held in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday.
“In the freezing cold, the Russians have decided to launch another major attack on Kiev,” Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kiev’s junta, wrote on Telegram after the airstrike early Tuesday morning.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving large swathes of the country facing power shortages and mid-winter blackouts. Early Tuesday morning local time, the temperature in Kiev was -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Ukraine’s largest private energy company is in “survival mode” and the next few weeks are critical as the country faces plummeting temperatures and “the worst energy system condition in modern history,” its CEO told CNN.
Maxim Timchenko told CNN in an interview from Dnipro on Monday that DTEK currently operates five thermal power plants in Ukraine, two of which are currently shut down and three others operating at low output.
He said the company is working to repair damage from repeated Russian attacks, but the frigid weather conditions often make repairs impossible.
His best hope for now is that the energy ceasefire announced last week, which provides a five-day moratorium on attacks on DTEK power plants, will be extended during talks in Abu Dhabi this week.
