Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine amid peace talk snub
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine. Another massive strike occurred early Sunday morning. An air raid alarm was announced across the country, and loud explosions were heard in Kyiv.
According to NEXTA, while discussions about a possible ceasefire and negotiations with Putin are ongoing, Russia is increasing its attacks on Ukraine. Before February 18, there were 101 attacks daily; after this date, Moscow has been attacking as many as 154 times a day.
On February 18, talks were held in Riyadh, attended by delegations from the USA and Russia. This was supposed to be the beginning of peace talks regarding Ukraine.
However, neither Ukraine nor the European Union received invitations to the talks, which caused outrage in Kyiv and most European capitals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he would not recognize the outcome of the talks in Riyadh because any negotiations concerning Ukraine are futile without Ukraine.
Russia's attacks on Ukraine
Three people were injured in Kyiv as a result of Russia's nighttime missile attack, informed the mayor of Ukraine's capital, Vitali Klitschko, on Sunday. Local authorities reported that fires broke out in at least three districts due to the shelling.
Sirens wailed in Kyiv twice — around 2 AM local time, when the air raid alert lasted approximately 2.5 hours, and then around 5 AM local time. Explosions were also heard at those times.
Also on Sunday, the Ukrainian military reported that on the night from Saturday to Sunday, 13 out of 23 missiles launched by Russia were shot down, along with 40 of 109 Russian drones. Additionally, contact was lost with 53 drones after Ukrainian forces employed electronic warfare measures.
Russia struck a residential district
The night before, Russians attacked Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Volodymyr Zelensky. A missile hit a restaurant in a densely populated district, as reported by social media users.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the target of the attack was a location where a meeting of Ukrainian soldiers with Western instructors was taking place. The government in Kyiv emphasized that this is disinformation.
