Russian strikes hit Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte inspected a Kyiv thermal power plant
Russian drone and missile strikes killed two people and wounded 15 in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow stepped up aerial attacks on populated areas and infrastructure. In Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov reported two 18‑year‑olds were killed and at least eight people wounded; images circulated by authorities showed bodies near damaged cars and destruction to residential areas. In Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said a strike on a densely populated neighborhood set part of an apartment block alight and injured seven people; firefighters worked to extinguish fires and emergency teams treated the wounded.
Meanwhile NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte inspected a Kyiv thermal power plant damaged in overnight Russian attacks, according to video shared by Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal.
During the visit, Shmyhal showed Rutte the damage inflicted on the thermal power plant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of exploiting a U.S.-backed energy truce to stockpile munitions, and using them to attack Ukraine with hundreds of drones and a record number of ballistic missiles a day before peace talks.
During a joint press conference with Rutte, Zelenskiy said they discussed rapid air defence supplies and licenses for U.S. weapon production in Europe.
He did not state whether any progress was made in those discussions.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russian forces launched some 450 drones and more than 60 missiles overnight, alleging Moscow timed attacks to strike the energy system as temperatures fell.
The overnight attack knocked out heating in cities including the capital Kyiv during freezing temperatures as Ukrainian negotiators headed to Abu Dhabi for a second round of U.S.-brokered trilateral talks.
