Zelenskyy accuses Russia of breaking Trump-brokered truce amid extreme cold

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, the Ukrainian president described Moscow’s assault as massive and “deliberate,” occurring overnight as temperatures in Kyiv dropped to -20C. He reported that 71 ballistic missiles and around 450 drones were deployed to target the country’s energy systems, leaving more than 1,000 residential buildings in the capital without heating.

Zelenskyy said Russia had broken a promise Trump had framed as a personal request to Vladimir Putin last week to pause attacks on Kyiv and “various towns” for a week due to the extreme cold. “He agreed to do that. And I have to tell you it was very nice,” Trump had said on Thursday. The Kremlin later stated that the truce would last only until Sunday. Ukraine, however, maintained that the ceasefire should have extended until Friday.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia used the brief pause to stockpile weapons. “Either Russia now believes that a week has only four incomplete days instead of seven, or they are relying solely on war, waiting for the coldest days of winter,” he said. “We consider this Russian strike a clear violation of what the American side agreed upon, and there must be consequences.”

Trump told reporters that Putin’s agreement had expired on Sunday. “It was Sunday to Sunday, and then he hit them hard last night,” he said at the White House. When asked if he was disappointed, Trump replied, “I want him to end the war.”

The second round of talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Abu Dhabi, following an unsuccessful first round last month.

Visiting Kyiv, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned Moscow for attempting to “create chaos for innocent civilians.” He said Zelenskyy was “absolutely ready to play ball” in the upcoming talks but questioned whether the Russian side was “serious,” calling the overnight attack a “very bad signal.” Rutte praised Trump as the only person capable of negotiating a peaceful resolution nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Kyiv residents reported loud explosions starting at 1 a.m., damaging five districts and injuring at least six people. An air raid alert lasted over five hours. In Zaporizhzhia, a drone strike killed two teenagers and wounded at least nine others.

“Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than pursuing diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said, urging western partners to increase supplies of missiles for air defense to protect “normal life.” “Without pressure on Russia, this war will not end. Moscow has chosen terror and escalation, which is why maximum pressure is necessary,” he added on social media.

Among the facilities damaged were water-heating systems for Ukrainian homes. “Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heating during the harshest winter, with temperatures dropping to -25C,” Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on X. Kyiv resident Natalia Hlobenko, 35, recounted covering her 11-year-old son as an explosion shattered her apartment windows. “Where is this ceasefire?” she asked tearfully.

The attack also damaged the Motherland monument, a 62-metre titanium Soviet-era memorial overlooking Kyiv and the frozen Dnipro River. Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna called it “both symbolic and cynical: the aggressor strikes a site commemorating past struggles against invasion, repeating its crimes in the 21st century.”

The Abu Dhabi talks come amid reports that Ukraine has agreed with its allies on a multi-tier plan for enforcing any ceasefire with Russia. According to the Financial Times, a Russian violation would trigger a response within 24 hours, initially involving diplomatic warnings and, if necessary, Ukrainian military action. Continued hostilities beyond 72 hours could escalate to coalition military response, potentially involving US forces.

Tuesday’s attacks affected Ukraine broadly. In Kyiv, 1,170 buildings lost power. In Kharkiv, over 800 properties were left without heat as water was drained from radiators to prevent freezing. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said 110,000 properties were impacted. Russian strikes also cut electricity in Izium and Balakliia and hit two apartment buildings in Sumy.

Russian state media celebrated the attacks as a strategic disruption of Ukraine’s energy grid. “We have driven Ukraine into the Stone Age. Terrifying cold is coming. The energy system is extremely vulnerable,” presenter Vladimir Solovyov told state TV, predicting Kyiv would become “a giant cesspool.”