Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched its largest aerial attack of 2026 on Ukraine overnight on February 3, firing 71 missiles and 450 drones at Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure just one day before U.S.-brokered peace talks were scheduled to resume in Abu Dhabi. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 38 missiles and 412 drones, but 27 missiles and 31 drones struck 27 locations across the country, according to Ukraine's air force. At least nine people were wounded in the bombardment. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack specifically targeted Ukraine's power grid in at least

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched its largest aerial attack of 2026 on Ukraine overnight on February 3, firing 71 missiles and 450 drones at Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure just one day before U.S.-brokered peace talks were scheduled to resume in Abu Dhabi.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 38 missiles and 412 drones, but 27 missiles and 31 drones struck 27 locations across the country, according to Ukraine's air force. At least nine people were wounded in the bombardment.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack specifically targeted Ukraine's power grid in at least five regions during the coldest days of winter. "Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than diplomacy," Zelenskyy said, urging allies to send more air defense supplies and bring "maximum pressure" on Russia.

The strike was the largest number of munitions launched in a single night since December 27, 2025. Energy infrastructure was damaged in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions, with over 1,170 apartment buildings in the capital left without heating. In Kharkiv, the Russian strike lasted over three hours.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, visiting Kyiv on Tuesday, told Ukrainian lawmakers that Russia's continued attacks demonstrate "their lack of seriousness about peace" despite progress in trilateral talks.

The massive bombardment came after the expiry of a brief pause in attacks on energy infrastructure that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump. Russia said the pause expired on Sunday.

The attack prompted NATO fighter jets in Poland to scramble, though no violation of Polish airspace was recorded. Russia has been trying to wreck Ukraine's electricity network since October by targeting substations, transformers, and power plants.

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