Escalating Tensions: Russia Strikes Ukraine Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Mon Feb 02 2026 19:47:56 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Despite participating in discussions with the US, Russia launches a deadly attack on Ukraine, causing casualties and raising concerns over the fate of ongoing peace negotiations.

In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia conducted drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, resulting in one death and 23 injuries. This attack occurred concurrently with trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine. While some progress was reported, unresolved territorial disputes loom large over the negotiations. With winter's harshness setting in, the assaults have left critical infrastructure damaged, compounding the humanitarian crisis faced by the Ukrainian people.

Russia launched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight, killing one person and injuring 23 others despite taking part in talks with the US aimed at ending the war.

The mayor of Ukrainian capital Kyiv reported that one person had died and four others had been wounded following a massive enemy attack, while Kharkiv's mayor stated that 19 people had been hurt during a sustained assault on the city.

Delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the US have been meeting in Abu Dhabi for the first trilateral talks since the Kremlin began its full-scale invasion in 2022.

A source has indicated to the BBC that some progress had been made, but the issue of territory remains a significant hurdle.

Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine, including parts of the eastern Donbas region, and has demanded that Ukraine cede significant territories, a request that Ukraine has rejected outright.

As the trilateral discussions continue into a second day, Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, shared that three of the four injured individuals had been hospitalized, and critical infrastructure in the capital had suffered damage, leaving 6,000 buildings without heating during sub-zero temperatures.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes, emphasizing that the main target of the Russian offensive was the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov reported injuries from strikes that damaged a maternity hospital and a hostel for displaced individuals.