Russia launched “more than 500 missiles and drones” overnight, striking homes and energy facilities across Ukraine as temperatures fell to -20C. It comes after an apparent agreement to cease energy attacks temporarily, and ahead of trilateral talks tomorrow. Follow the latest.
Tuesday 3 February 2026 08:04, UK
Russia attacked apartments and energy facilities across freezing cities in Ukraine with more than 500 drones and missiles overnight, according to Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
Some 1,170 residential buildings in Kyiv have been left without heating as temperatures plunge to -20C, says the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.
The attack comes after an apparent pledge by Moscow to cease attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US on Wednesday.
“Putin waited for the temperatures to drop and stockpiled drones and missiles to continue his genocidal attacks against the Ukrainian people,” says Sybiha.
“Neither anticipated diplomatic efforts in Abu Dhabi this week nor his promises to the United States kept him from continuing terror against ordinary people in the harshest winter.
“We are dealing with terrorists who must be forced to stop violence.
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians, despite evidence of strikes on numerous apartment buildings throughout the war.
Last night’s attack included 60 missiles and 450 drones, Sybiha said, posting a video to social media showing the aftermath.
Last week, the Kremlin said Donald Trump had made a personal request to Vladimir Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv until 1 February, while Zelenskyy said the truce was supposed to last for a week, starting 30 January.
Ukraine, Europe and the US have agreed on a response to any Russia violations of a ceasefire, should one take place, according to reports.
Persistent breaches would trigger a coordinated military response from Europe and the US, people briefed on talks told the Financial Times.
The plan was discussed on several occasions in December and January between Ukrainian, European and American officials.
The proposal says any Russian breach of a ceasefire would prompt a response within 24 hours, starting with a diplomatic warning and, if necessary, action by the Ukrainian army to halt the infraction.
If hostilities continued beyond that, the coalition of the willing would intervene with its forces.
In the case of an expanded attack, a coordinated response by a Western-backed force incorporating the US military would be triggered 72 hours after the initial breach.
Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv, Moscow and Washingtonprepare to return to the negotiating table tomorrow.
We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout the day – but before we begin, here’s a recap of Monday’s key developments…
… and an overview of the latest movements on the battlefield.
Thanks for following our live updates of the war in Ukraine.
We’ll be back with more news tomorrow. Until then, here’s a rundown of today’s top lines:
By Rob Harris, sports correspondent
The Ukrainian sports minister has branded FIFA President Gianni Infantino “irresponsible – not to say infantile” for wanting to look at lifting Russia’s ban from world football.
The ban was imposed by FIFA’s ruling executive along with European football’s governing body, UEFA, at the start of Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Infantino told Sky News’ lead world news presenter Yalda Hakim today “we have to” look at restoring Russian teams, adding: “This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
The ban was imposed in 2022 as European rivals said they wouldn’t play or host Russia’s matches.
With Ukraine fending off the full-scale war for four years, its government is enraged that FIFA wants Russia being able to qualify for World Cups again.
Ukrainian sports minister Matvii Bidnyi said in a statement to Sky News: “Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible – not to say infantile. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed.”
Bidnyi said over 100 footballers are among more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed by Russians.
He added: “War is a crime, not politics. It is Russia that politicizes sport and uses it to justify aggression. I share the position of the Ukrainian Association of Football, which also warns against Russia’s return to international competitions.”
As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicizing sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity, and fair play.”
Russia has been unable to play at a men’s World Cup since hosting in 2018 when Infantino received the Order of Friendship medal from Putin.
Bidnyi also recently used a Sky News interview to criticise the International Paralympic Committee for lifting its ban on Russia and war ally Belarus.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko says utility and energy workers are still attempting to restore heat to thousands of homes in Ukraine’s capital.
He said that as of 4pm (2pm UK time), some 4,419 multi-storey buildings were still without heating.
In a more recent update this evening, Klitschko says he visited the Troieshchyna district of the city, where the largest number of buildings without heat are situated.
He said specialists from Kyivteploenergo, the company supplying heating and hot water in Kyiv, were working there.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there were no new targeted strikes by Russian missiles or Shahed drones on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure today.
“This demonstrates that when the United States has the motive to really change the situation, the situation can change,” he says.
Russia and Ukraine said last week they halted strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, but disagreed on the timeframe for the truce.
The Kremlin said Donald Trump had made a personal request to Vladimir Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv until 1 February, while Zelenskyy said the truce was supposed to last for a week, starting 30 January.
Ukraine’s government has approved a resolution mandating the registration of Starlink terminals to stop them being used by Russia, Kyiv’s defence minister says.
Mykhailo Fedorov said Russian drones with Starlink connectivity appeared over Ukrainian cities last week, adding he’d raised the issue with SpaceX, the manufacturer of the terminals.
Under the new government resolution, Ukraine will introduce a so-called “whitelist” for Starlink terminals, with all unverified devices to be disconnected.
Fedorov said these measures are currently the only technical solution to counter the use of the technology by Russian forces.
The system will be implemented in cooperation with SpaceX, whose owner Elon Musk sent the first batch of Starlink terminals to Ukraine at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, a decision Fedorov said was “critical to the stability of our state”.
Ukrainian forces depend significantly on Starlink for communication to frontline positions.
Many commanders prefer the satellite internet system over traditional radio communications as it offers a more secure way to connect with troops at a distance.
NATO chief Mark Rutte is set to address Ukraine’s parliament tomorrow during a scheduled visit to Kyiv, two Ukrainian MPs said.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak and Oleksii Honcharenko both shared the news on their Telegram channels.
There has been no official announcement Rutte will visit Kyiv from NATO.
Russian attacks on energy sites have been a thorny issue for Ukraine throughout winter as the country faces temperatures well below freezing.
These pictures show the scale of damage at one thermal power plant hit by recent Russian strikes at an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
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