Russian assaults rendered heating unavailable to nearly half of Ukraine’s capital on Friday, leading the mayor to make an urgent appeal for residents to temporarily evacuate due to the dropping temperatures, which reached minus 8 degrees Celsius and were expected to further decline.
In a significant barrage comprising missiles and drones, four individuals lost their lives in the capital, where the strikes severely damaged residential buildings. Notably, Moscow also launched its menacing Oreshnik ballistic missile toward western Ukraine, drawing strong criticism from European nations.
This assault occurred shortly after Moscow dismissed a proposal from Kyiv and its Western allies that suggested deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire is established.
AFP reporters in Kyiv observed locals fleeing to safety as air raid sirens blared, while the sounds of Russian drones detonated against residential structures and missiles soared overhead.
“There needs to be a decisive response from the global community, particularly from the United States, as Russia seriously considers its signals,” President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed on social media.
Zelensky emphasized that Russia must be signaled to prioritize diplomacy and must face repercussions every time it resorts to violence and infrastructure destruction.
He noted that 20 residential buildings in Kyiv were damaged and mentioned that a Russian drone had hit the building of the Qatari embassy.
According to Klitschko, around half of the apartment buildings in the capital were left without heating due to “damage to critical infrastructure from a massive enemy strike.”
He urged “residents of the capital who can temporarily relocate to areas with alternative heating sources to do so.”
Journalists from AFP reported from train and bus stations, where there were no signs of mass panic or large crowds.
In Kyiv, officials confirmed that four people were killed, including a medic who perished during a repeated strike, and noted that 24 others sustained injuries.
Nina, a 70-year-old resident of a struck building, expressed her frustration to AFP about the global talks of a potential peace agreement while Russia continued its deadly assaults.
“Where is Europe, where is America? They aren’t feeling the pain in the same way,” she stated.
Her neighbor, 58-year-old Kostiantyn Kondratchenko, bravely fought a blaze on the second floor caused by the drone strike using a garden hose, he recounted to AFP.
This latest barrage adds to the ongoing suffering in Ukraine as diplomats seek a resolution in what has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Since launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has shown no intentions of reducing its ground operations or aerial bombings.
Moscow’s Defense Ministry indicated the Oreshnik missile was used against “strategic targets,” marking only the second known deployment of this new weapon, which the Kremlin claims is impossible to intercept.
Ukrainian officials reported that a ballistic missile traveling “at approximately 13,000 kilometers [8,000 miles] per hour” struck an “infrastructure facility” near the western city of Lviv.
The SBU, Ukraine’s security agency, released images of missile debris it claimed were found in the Lviv area, close to the border with Poland.
The agency stated that Russia’s strike targeted “civilian infrastructure,” without detailing the specific target or extent of damage.
The regional military authority assured that radiation levels remained normal.
The European Union and Germany condemned Russia’s use of the Oreshnik missile.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, stated on social media that “Russia’s reported use of an Oreshnik missile is a clear escalation against Ukraine, serving as a warning to Europe and the U.S.”
In Russia’s Belgorod, over half a million residents were reported to be without electricity or heating following a Ukrainian attack on regional utilities.
While Zelensky mentioned that an agreement for U.S. security guarantees was “essentially ready for finalization,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that a ceasefire agreement remained “quite distant” due to Russia’s stance.
Following a summit in Paris, Russia described the proposed postwar guarantees for Ukraine, which would involve a U.S.-led monitoring mechanism and a multinational force, as “dangerous” and “destructive.”
Key territorial disputes also remain unresolved, with Russia, which occupies about 20% of Ukraine, insisting on full control of the Donbas region as a condition for any settlement, a demand that Kyiv has rebuffed.
