Ukraine saw a rare break in overnight attacks on its energy infrastructure after President Trump appealed to Russian President Putin to pause the assaults. The Kremlin announced that this ceasefire would extend through Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that there were no nighttime strikes on energy facilities after Trump’s call to Putin, emphasizing that frigid temperatures posed a serious risk of civilians freezing. In a post on X, he stated, “There were no strikes on energy facilities last night.”
Still, Moscow continued its attacks on other civilian infrastructures throughout the country.
Zelenskiy noted that drone strikes were ongoing, particularly targeting residential buildings in urban settings. He mentioned that ballistic missiles hit the Kharkiv region, damaging warehouses, including those owned by U.S. companies.
Trump had requested that Putin halt attacks on Ukraine’s cities and energy systems for a week, coinciding with a severe cold wave that has left many without power or heat.
Discussions concerning a ceasefire for energy infrastructure occurred among officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. earlier this month, according to Zelenskiy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that a limited ceasefire on heating and electricity would indeed be observed.
Peskov reiterated that Trump’s personal appeal aimed to halt attacks on Kyiv until February 1, with the hope of creating a conducive environment for negotiations.
However, this temporary suspension of strikes only officially commenced Thursday night. Zelenskiy had noted earlier that some regions were still facing energy infrastructure strikes.
This implied that even if the ceasefire wraps up on Sunday, it would have lasted only half as long as the timeframe Trump suggested.
Despite a momentary pause in aimed attacks on energy facilities, Russian aggression has intensified regarding logistics and residential areas. Zelenskiy pointed out that drone attacks on apartment blocks in major cities persisted, while the calm over the power grid at night did not shield civilians.
Reports indicated that Shahed kamikaze drones targeted districts in Zaporizhzhia, with drone assaults continuing almost continuously in Kherson and the Dnipro region, causing severe damage in Nikopol.
Additionally, Zelenskiy described the situation in border areas like Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv as still quite challenging.
The energy crisis remains a pressing issue across Ukraine, with Zelenskyy stating that 378 high-rise buildings in Kyiv were still without heating. Emergency supplies were being directed to the capital as authorities emphasized urgent needs, particularly in central Ukraine’s Cherkasy region.
Recovery workers were evaluated across several locations, including Kiev, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Khmelnitsky, and Zhitomir, as they raced to restore power and heating systems amid freezing temperatures.
While Ukraine’s power grid avoided new damage overnight, the overarching humanitarian crisis persists. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to all supporters, concluding with, “Glory to Ukraine.”
