The Russia–Ukraine war has escalated sharply despite on-going attempts to negotiate an end to the conflict, with heavy Russian missile and drone strikes hitting Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities even as peace talks resume in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The intensification of hostilities comes as Western allies reaffirm political and military support for Ukraine amid continued Russian offensives.
On February 2 and 3, 2026, Russian forces launched a massive aerial assault involving around 71 ballistic missiles and up to 450 attack drones against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and urban areas, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Odesa, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia. The attacks, described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a deliberate strategy to undermine civilian morale during extreme winter cold, knocked out power and heating for thousands of residents and damaged critical infrastructure.
The bombardment occurred just as a second round of U.S.-mediated peace negotiations was scheduled to begin. Delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on February 4–5, 2026, in an effort to explore diplomatic pathways toward ending nearly four years of conflict. Ukraine’s negotiating team is led by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, while Russia’s delegation includes senior military intelligence officials such as Igor Kostyukov.
President Zelenskyy publicly accused Moscow of violating a limited ceasefire on energy facilities that had briefly reduced attacks, suggesting Russia used the lull to accumulate weapons before resuming strikes. At a news conference in Kyiv on February 3, 2026, he said that Ukraine would adjust its negotiating position in response to the renewed barrage.
The strikes have had severe humanitarian effects, leaving tens of thousands without power or heating as temperatures plunged well below freezing. Ukrainian authorities reported that more than 1,100 residential buildings in Kyiv alone were without heat at the height of the assaults, and several people were wounded in both Kyiv and Kharkiv. Emergency services responded to fires and infrastructure damage caused by the missile and drone activity.
Western allies have reacted strongly to the escalation. Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO, visited Kyiv and condemned the attacks, reaffirming NATO’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and calling for increased supplies of air defence systems. Western governments, including the United States and members of the European Union, have pledged continued military and diplomatic backing for Kyiv, while pressing both sides to pursue a negotiated settlement.
The peace talks in Abu Dhabi represent one of the most formal attempts at trilateral negotiation since the war began. Earlier meetings held from January 23–24, 2026, resulted in dialogue but no breakthrough agreement, with deep disagreements remaining over territorial issues and security guarantees. Analysts say that the renewed violence complicates efforts to build trust between the parties and could harden negotiating positions on both sides.
