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Russian Night Strikes Shatter Trump‑Backed Energy Truce as Temperatures Plunge Below ‑20 °C

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  • President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
    President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Source Full size
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  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP
    Image: Newsweek
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP Source Full size
  • The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January
    The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January
    Image: BBC
    The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January (PA Media) Source Full size
  • Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026.
    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026. Source Full size
  • The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January
    The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January
    Image: BBC
    The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January (PA Media) Source Full size
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP
    Image: Newsweek
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump pose on a podium on the tarmac after they arrived to attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the United States. Sergey Bobylev / Sputnik via AP Source Full size
  • Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026.
    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Lithuania’s President and Poland’s President, after attending commemorations of the 1863 uprising, in Vilnius on January 25, 2026. Source Full size
  • President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
    President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
    Image: Newsweek
    President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Source Full size
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    Image: AP
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Trump Announces Week‑Long Energy Truce On Jan 29‑30 President Donald Trump told a White House cabinet meeting he personally asked Vladimir Putin to halt strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week because of extreme cold, and claimed Putin agreed; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later described the pause as a limited, tactical concession set to expire on Feb 1, without confirming a formal cease‑fire [1][6][8].

Russia Resumes Massive Night Strikes on Feb 3 In the early hours of Feb 3 Russia launched its largest missile‑drone barrage of 2026, firing roughly 70 missiles and 450 drones at power facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, causing widespread blackouts, heating loss for tens of thousands and at least ten civilian injuries [2][3][4].

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Breaching U.S.-Brokered Pause Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks violated a week‑long halt on energy strikes that followed Trump’s request, citing evidence submitted by Ambassador Olga Stefanishyna and reporting that DTEK’s thermal plants were damaged, leaving two of five facilities offline and forcing the company into “survival mode” [1][2][3].

International Reactions Diverge on Trump’s Peace Push U.S. Senate leaders split, with John Thune offering pressure tools on Russia while Roger Wicker and Chuck Schumer criticized the plan as favoring Putin; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the energy attacks as “barbaric,” and NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte called the strikes “a really bad signal,” reaffirming alliance support [1][3][6][7].

Cold Winter Amplifies Humanitarian Crisis Temperatures in Kyiv fell to –20 °C (‑4 °F) and –24 °C (‑11 °F) in surrounding areas, leaving over 1,200 high‑rise buildings without heat, forcing residents into shelters and metro stations, while the Ukrainian State Emergency Service warned of a looming –30 °C cold wave that could exacerbate rolling blackouts [2][3][6].

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Timeline

Mar 2022 – Russia violates a three‑day cease‑fire that had been arranged to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, underscoring the difficulty of sustaining truces in the conflict [4].

May 2025 – Ukraine accuses Moscow of breaking a three‑day cease‑fire, a pattern repeated from earlier in the war and highlighting persistent mistrust over temporary pauses [4].

Dec 2025 – Russian Senezh Spetsnaz forces execute several surrendered Ukrainian border guards during a cross‑border attack in Chernihiv Oblast, marking a sharp rise in extrajudicial killings of POWs [9].

Jan 15, 2026 – President Zelensky declares a state of emergency for Ukraine’s energy sector, creates a 24/7 task force, and accuses Moscow of “weaponizing” the severe cold to cripple heating and power supplies [2]; Trump tells Reuters that Ukraine is “less ready” for a peace deal than Putin [2]; the Kremlin says Putin remains open to talks [2]; DTEK reports its grid is under constant drone and missile attacks, serving 5.6 million people [2]; the UN monitoring mission records 2,514 civilian deaths in the past year [2].

Jan 29, 2026 – In a White House cabinet meeting Trump claims he asked Putin not to fire on Kyiv for a week and that “Putin agreed,” though the Kremlin offers no comment [7]; Ukraine warns a brutal cold wave could drop temperatures to ‑30 °C, threatening power shortages [7]; recent Russian drone strikes kill three in Zaporizhzhia and injure two in Dnipropetrovsk, while the UN notes a 31 % rise in civilian casualties over the previous year [7]; Ukraine seeks to block Russian use of Starlink for drone guidance, thanking Elon Musk for a swift response [7]; EU foreign minister Kaja Kallas accuses Russia of not taking negotiations seriously, while US envoy Steve Witkoff says three‑way talks show “a lot of progress” [7].

Jan 30, 2026 – Trump repeats that Putin consented to a one‑week pause on attacks on Kyiv and other towns, framing it as an “energy truce” during extreme cold [1,4,6,7]; Zelensky thanks Trump on X, calling the pause “important” and saying Ukraine will mirror any Russian step on energy targets, while noting the discussion took place in Abu Dhabi [4,6,1]; the State Emergency Service warns temperatures will plunge to ‑30 °C, intensifying civilian hardship [6]; trilateral talks in the UAE are described as constructive but no formal cease‑fire is announced, and the Kremlin neither confirms nor denies the pause [1,4]; Zelensky cites the pause as a chance to protect critical infrastructure and mentions “the possibility of providing security for Kyiv” [1].

Jan 31, 2026 – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirms that Trump’s personal request led Russia to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure until Feb 1, describing the pause as limited and non‑concessional [9]; Zelensky notes that no night‑time strikes occurred on Jan 29‑30 but Russian forces shifted to targeting logistics [9]; Russian units make modest advances near Lyman and Kostyantynivka without altering the front line, while Russia claims capture of settlements in western Zaporizhia [9]; the same report documents a massive drone and missile barrage (111 drones, one Iskander‑M) on Jan 29‑30 that injures civilians and contributes to rolling blackouts [9].

Feb 3, 2026 – Russia launches its largest missile‑drone strike of the year, hitting Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa with ~70 missiles and 450 drones, cutting heat for tens of thousands and ending the US‑brokered pause [3,8]; Zelensky urges an American response, saying the assault is the heaviest on the grid this year [3]; the White House says negotiations continue and the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi will proceed with US mediation [3]; cold‑weather attacks leave over 1,200 high‑rise buildings without heat in Kyiv and 820 in Kharkiv, forcing residents into shelters as temperatures fall to ‑20 °C and ‑25 °C respectively [3]; NATO chief Mark Rutte condemns the strikes as “a really bad signal,” while NATO supplies now account for about 75 % of Ukraine’s missiles [8].

Feb 4, 2026 – Trump reiterates that he secured a one‑week cease‑fire, but the Kremlin says the pause ended on Feb 1 and was limited to energy targets [5]; Ukraine submits evidence of post‑truce attacks to the State Department and reports ~70 missiles and 450 drones striking power grids across multiple cities [5]; Moscow denies ever committing to a week‑long cease‑fire, portraying the limited pause as a tactical concession [5]; US senators split on Trump’s peace push, with John Thune supporting pressure on Russia while Roger Wicker and Chuck Schumer criticize the plan as favoring Putin [5]; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the energy attacks “barbaric” and “particularly depraved” [5].

Early Feb 2026 (planned) – Ukraine and the United States prepare to resume three‑way negotiations in Abu Dhabi, with Kyiv expecting to implement any reciprocal energy truce and the US positioned as mediator for further de‑escalation [6].

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