Kathrine Frich
Hopes of restraint quickly faded as Ukraine woke to another wave of missile strikes.
The attack came despite earlier assurances cited by the US president, raising fresh questions about Moscow’s intentions.
The strikes hit during one of the coldest periods of winter, deepening an already severe humanitarian situation.
Overnight assault
Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, firing more than 70 missiles, including a significant number of ballistic missiles,
Ukrainian officials said. Around 450 drones were also used in the assault.
The strikes targeted Kyiv and nearby areas, as well as the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Vinnytsia regions. The renewed bombardment followed earlier reports that such attacks had paused.
Freezing conditions
The timing of the strikes has intensified their impact. Night-time temperatures in parts of Ukraine have dropped to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
Millions of people have been left without electricity and heating, including hundreds of thousands of children, as Ukraine struggles to repair infrastructure repeatedly damaged by Russian attacks.
Trump’s account
The renewed strikes came shortly after US President Donald Trump spoke publicly about a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House last week, Trump said he had personally appealed to Putin over the situation in Ukraine.
“Because of the cold, the extreme cold, I personally asked President Putin not to shoot at Kyiv and cities and towns for a week,” Trump said.
Claimed agreement
Trump told officials that Putin had agreed to the request. “He agreed to do it. And I have to tell you, it was very kind,” Trump said.
He added: “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste your phone. You won’t get it.’ And he did it, and we’re very happy he did it.”
Trump also said Ukrainians “almost didn’t believe it.”
Sources: Ukrainian authorities, WP.
