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Russia’s Feb 1 Drone Strikes Hit Maternity Hospital, Miners’ Bus as Starlink Blockade Begins

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  • None
    None
    Image: AP
    Source Full size
  • The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say
    The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say
    Image: BBC
    The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say (Armed Forces of Ukraine/Telegram) Source Full size
  • The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say
    The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say
    Image: BBC
    The miners were travelling in a bus when it was hit by a drone, officials say (Armed Forces of Ukraine/Telegram) Source Full size
  • A woman gathers her belongings from a room in the maternity hospital after the strike
    A woman gathers her belongings from a room in the maternity hospital after the strike
    Image: BBC
    A woman gathers her belongings from a room in the maternity hospital after the strike (EPA) Source Full size
  • No deaths were reported after the strike at the hospital on Sunday
    No deaths were reported after the strike at the hospital on Sunday
    Image: BBC
    No deaths were reported after the strike at the hospital on Sunday (Reuters) Source Full size

Feb 1 attacks hit civilian infrastructure in two Ukrainian regions. Russian drones struck the gynecological reception area of Maternity Hospital No. 3 in Zaporizhzhia City, igniting a fire and wounding six people, including women in labour [1][2][3]. In the same day, four Shahed‑type drones assaulted a DTEK bus near Ternivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing at least 12 miners and injuring 16‑15 others [1][2][3]. Both incidents were described by Ukrainian officials as deliberate attacks on non‑military targets aimed at demoralising the population [1][3].

Shahed drones specifically targeted a miners’ transport vehicle. The bus was carrying staff from a DTEK coal mine when a first drone forced it into a fence and a second drone deliberately struck the vehicle, according to defence adviser Serhii Beskrestnov [3]. DTEK confirmed the attack as part of a large‑scale strike on its mining operations and revised the death toll from an initial 15 to 12 [3]. Energy minister Denys Shmyhal called the strike “cynical and deliberate,” demanding accountability for the assault on energy‑sector workers [3].

SpaceX began blocking Starlink terminals used by Russian drones. On Feb 1 Elon Musk announced that, at Ukraine’s request, SpaceX had taken “effective” steps to prevent Russian forces from exploiting Starlink for long‑range drone control [1][2]. Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov praised the measures as producing “real results” and said Kyiv would continue to advise SpaceX on further restrictions [1][2]. Russian milbloggers reported signal interference for drones travelling 75‑90 km/h, indicating the blockade disrupted Shahed, Molniya and BM‑35 drone operations [1].

Trilateral peace talks were moved to Abu Dhabi on Feb 4‑5. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the rescheduling of the Ukraine‑Russia‑U.S. negotiations from the originally planned weekend to Wednesday‑Thursday, citing the need for more preparation [2][3]. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used the same period to urge the United States to negotiate only with Russia, framing the dialogue as a bilateral great‑power project [1]. The talks are expected to focus on Ukraine’s territorial concessions and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant [2][3].

Russia claimed a temporary pause on civilian targets during the cold snap. The Kremlin announced it would refrain from striking population centres or energy infrastructure for the duration of an extreme cold snap, presenting the pause as a goodwill gesture for peace talks [2]. However, the Feb 1 drone attacks on the maternity hospital and miners’ bus occurred despite the declared pause, highlighting a discrepancy between Moscow’s statements and its operational conduct [1][2][3].

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Timeline

Dec 31, 2025 – Russian drones strike Odesa overnight, injuring six including a toddler, damaging four apartment blocks and two DTEK energy facilities; ten regional substations also suffer damage, deepening the city’s power shortages[4].

Dec 31, 2025 – In his New Year address, President Vladimir Putin declares Russian troops “heroes” and asserts that Russia “will prevail” in the nearly four‑year war, reinforcing his public confidence in victory[4].

Dec 31, 2025 – The United Nations reports that between January and November 2025 more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and over 11,000 injured, a sharp rise from the prior year, underscoring the war’s escalating humanitarian toll[4].

Dec 31, 2025 – Former U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, together with Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner, holds a call with Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine’s security advisers to advance the European peace process, discussing security guarantees and reconstruction plans[4].

Dec 31, 2025 – Romania and Croatia join the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) fund, bringing total contributions to about $4.3 billion from 24 NATO members, with roughly $1.5 billion pledged in December alone[4].

Dec 31, 2025 – Russia claims to have shot down 86 Ukrainian drones and releases a video of a downed drone allegedly linked to an attack on a Putin residence, a claim Kyiv disputes and analysts view as propaganda[4].

Jan 27, 2026 – More than 50 Russian drones, including the newly‑deployed Geran‑5 jet‑powered model capable of a 90‑kg warhead and a 1,000 km range, bombard Odesa, striking the power grid and five apartment blocks; 23 people, among them two children and a pregnant woman, are injured[3].

Jan 27, 2026 – President Volodymyr Zelensky posts on Telegram urging the United States to accelerate diplomatic talks scheduled for Feb 1 and to impose additional sanctions on Russia, emphasizing the urgency of a diplomatic breakthrough[3].

Jan 27, 2026 – Ukraine’s air force reports that Russia launches 165 drones overnight, with 24 breaching defenses and hitting targets in seven regions, while Russian air defenses down 19 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, illustrating the intensifying aerial contest[3].

Jan 27, 2026 – Analysts note that President Putin “is not rushing a peace deal, betting on waning Western support,” and that Moscow offers cash bonuses, prisoner releases, and recruits foreign workers under false pretenses to sustain the war effort[3].

Jan 27, 2026 – Kyiv markedly expands production of interceptor drones and begins development of long‑range unmanned systems to counter Russia’s upgraded drone capabilities[3].

Jan 27‑31, 2026 – Belarus launches a series of balloon‑like objects into Polish (three incursions) and Lithuanian (42 incursions) airspace; analysts assess the activity as part of Russia’s “Phase Zero” information‑psychological conditioning ahead of a potential NATO‑Russia conflict[5].

Feb 1, 2026 – A Russian Shahed drone strikes a DTEK bus near Ternivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing at least 12 miners and wounding 16; a second drone deliberately targets the civilian vehicle, which Defence Ministry adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov describes as “directed … at the civilians”[2][1].

Feb 1, 2026 – A Russian drone hits the gynecological reception area of Maternity Hospital No. 3 in Zaporizhzhia, igniting a fire and injuring six people, including women in labour; regional head Ivan Fedorov calls it “proof of a war directed against life,” and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha says it shows Putin “pursuing a war against civilians”[1][2].

Feb 1, 2026 – Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal labels the miners’ bus attack “cynical and deliberate,” while President Zelensky calls it a “demonstrative crime” that underscores Russia’s escalation[2].

Feb 1, 2026 – The Kremlin announces a temporary pause on attacks against civilian population centres and energy infrastructure during an extreme cold snap, framing it as a confidence‑building measure for Abu Dhabi peace talks; the pause expires on Sunday, Feb 2[1].

Feb 1, 2026 – SpaceX, at Ukraine’s request, disables unverified Starlink terminals to prevent their use by Russian long‑range drones; Elon Musk tweets that the steps “appear to have worked,” and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanks him as “a true friend of the Ukrainian people”[1][5].

Feb 1, 2026 – President Zelensky announces that the trilateral Ukraine‑Russia‑US negotiations will be moved to Wednesday and Thursday (Feb 6‑7) instead of the originally planned Sunday, focusing on territory cessions and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant[1].

Feb 1, 2026 – In January, Russia’s large‑scale drone and missile campaign on Ukraine’s power grid leaves millions without heating and electricity as temperatures plunge below –20 °C, exacerbating civilian hardship[1].

Feb 2, 2026 – Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tells journalist Pavel Zarubin that the United States should negotiate only with Russia, casting the upcoming Abu Dhabi talks as a “bilateral great‑power economic project” and accusing Europe of sowing division, a diplomatic tactic aimed at extracting concessions from the Trump administration[5].

Feb 2, 2026 – Bloomberg‑cited insiders report that Russia views the full cession of Donetsk and Luhansk as a “concession” and sees little chance of a breakthrough in peace talks, while President Putin regards such cession as a strategic gain[5].

Feb 2, 2026 – Elon Musk confirms that SpaceX’s restrictions on Starlink have produced “real results,” and Ukrainian MoD advisor Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov says Kyiv will continue gathering data on its own Starlink users to avoid collateral impact on civilian communications[5].

Feb 2, 2026 – Satellite imagery reveals extensive construction at the former Soviet Rybka base in Petrozavodsk, Karelia, and a new military town in Kandalaksha, Murmansk Oblast, expanding the 44th Army Corps and a new artillery brigade; these projects follow Russia’s 2024 restructuring of the Western Military District into Leningrad and Moscow districts, signaling a broader NATO‑focused buildup[5].

Feb 2, 2026 – Analysts note that the Russian‑Belarus balloon incursions in late January are part of a “Phase Zero” strategy to test NATO air‑defence reactions and gather reconnaissance ahead of possible future conflict[5].

Feb 4‑5, 2026 (planned) – The United States, Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to hold trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, with Ukraine pressing for territorial concessions and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, while the United States seeks to mediate a settlement[2][5].

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