Russia launched a massive strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, using more than 70 missiles and about 450 drones, as President Volodymyr Zelensky called on partners to increase pressure on Moscow.
Overnight on February 3, at the height of a severe cold snap, Russian forces used ballistic missiles and attack drones against multiple Ukrainian regions, Zelensky said, adding that without maximum pressure on Moscow, ending the war is impossible.
Ukraine endured one of its largest attacks on energy infrastructure to date. Russian troops fired more than 70 missiles and deployed roughly 450 attack drones overnight. Strikes hit the Sumy, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions, the capital, as well as the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Vinnytsia regions.
So far, nine people are known to have been injured. Residential buildings and energy facilities were damaged; in Kyiv, fires broke out in high-rise buildings after drone impacts, and a kindergarten was hit. Rescue and emergency services are working at the scene.
“Without pressure on Russia, this war will not end,” Zelensky said.
He noted that Moscow is deliberately using the coldest days of winter to terrorize civilians: “Russia uses the frost to terrorize people.”
“Moscow chooses terror and escalation,” he added.
The Ukrainian President said timely provision of air defense missiles and protection of normal life for civilians remain priorities. “Maximum pressure is needed,” he emphasized, thanking international partners who understand the situation and support Ukraine.
