German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure “especially cynical” as the first three-way talks involving the United States took place in Abu Dhabi on January 23–24. He made the remarks on Monday, January 26, at a joint press conference in Berlin with Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas.
Pistorius said Russia is hitting civilian energy infrastructure “with relentless force and brutality in the harsh winter.” He called the campaign “terror against the Ukrainian population in violation of international law.”
Amid the intensified attacks, Pistorius said Ukraine lacks ammunition for its air defense systems. Germany is supplying IRIS-T systems to Ukraine “more or less continuously,” he said, while deliveries of US-made Patriot systems are not possible for now because the Bundeswehr has already provided “more than a third” of its stock and is awaiting new supplies from the United States.
Overnight on January 25, Ukraine came under another wave of missile-and-drone strikes from Russia. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 102 attack drones at multiple regions. Ukrainian forces shot down 87 drones, but 15 hit targets across ten different locations.
Strikes also took place during the talks on January 23 and 24. Russia, it is claimed, used more than 370 attack drones and 21 missiles of various types. The primary target on January 24 was Kyiv, where critical infrastructure was attacked. As a result, about 6,000 residential buildings in the capital were left without heating. By January 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 1,200 buildings remained without heat.
Overall, Zelensky said, over the past week Russian forces launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs and 69 missiles of various types at Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the missiles “hit not only our people but the negotiating table as well.”
The two-day US–Ukraine–Russia talks were held behind closed doors in Abu Dhabi on January 23–24. Kyiv’s delegation was led by Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). Also participating was Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Russia was represented by Defense Ministry officials led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the General Staff’s Main Directorate. President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the talks as “constructive.” He said discussions focused on possible parameters for ending the war and the security guarantees Ukraine would need.
Representatives of the three countries held direct consultations on the US peace plan for the first time since the war began. Shortly before the talks, Moscow reaffirmed its demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the entire Donetsk region, including areas not currently controlled by Russia. Ukraine categorically refuses to do so.
A new round of three-way talks among the delegations of Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on February 1, Zelensky said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed another meeting would take place this week but did not provide the exact date.
