Russia has launched a “massive” attack on railway infrastructure on Ukraine’s Sumy region, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, ahead of a second day of high-level trilateral peace talks.
The railway's energy infrastructure was also targeted and a train driver was injured by shrapnel wounds, Mr Kuleba said on Telegram.
"The enemy is trying to stop train traffic," Mr Kuleba said, describing the attack as "another act of terrorism" against one of the foundations of Ukrainian stability”.
The attack came ahead of the second day of the second round of three-way peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Despite reports that the discussions were constructive, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian troops would continue to fight until Kyiv made the “right decisions”.
Moscow wants Kyiv to pull its troops out of the embattled Donetsk region – including a belt of highly fortified cities regarded as one of Ukraine’s strongest defences – effectively forfeiting the territory.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said that around 55,000 of his forces’ troops had been killed over four years of war.
Kremlin says it won’t stop fighting until Kyiv gives in as first day of peace talks end in Abu Dhabi
Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for US-brokered talks
Ukraine peace deal must put people before land, warns key Zelensky ally
Ukraine lambasts ‘infantile and irresponsible’ Gianni Infantino for trying to overturn Russia ban
Key Points
- Toll of Ukrainian soldiers killed hits 55,000, Zelensky says
- Ukraine and Russia end first day of peace talks, call it 'productive'
- A US-Russia nuclear treaty expires today – risking a new arms race
- Ukraine energy minister warns of more power cuts and possible Russian attacks
- EU envoys agree details of €90bn loan for Ukraine
Zelensky anticipates 'significant step' from US-backed trilateral meeting
08:14 , Alex CroftRussia launches 185 drones and missiles in overnight attack
07:59 , Alex CroftThe Ukrainian air force has said that Russia launched 185 drones and missiles in its overnight air attack.
Among these were two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 183 drones, the air force said in an update on Telegram.
Air defences destroyed 156 of the drones, which were launched from the Russian cities of Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and the occupied Donetsk region.
“Hits by ballistic missiles and 22 UAVs have been recorded at 16 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at 7 locations,” the air force added.
Russia carries out 'massive' attack on Sumy railway infrastructure
07:39 , Alex CroftRussia carried out a "massive" drone attack on railway infrastructure in Ukraine's northern Sumy region, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Thursday.
The railway's energy infrastructure was also targeted, Mr Kuleba said on the Telegram messaging app, posting photos of damaged railway cars.
"The enemy is trying to stop train traffic," Mr Kuleba said, describing the attack as "another act of terrorism" against Ukrainian logistics.
Polish PM arrives in Ukraine for Kyiv visit
07:29 , Alex CroftPolish prime minister Donald Tusk has begun a visit to Ukraine, his office said on Thursday on X.
Mr Tusk said that he plans this week to visit Kyiv, together with finance minister Andrzej Domanski - who is preparing an international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine after the end of the war.
Two people injured in Russian overnight drone on Kyiv, mayor says
07:01 , Arpan RaiAt least two people were hurt in a Russian overnight drone attack in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said this morning.
Klitschko said the attack caused damage in residential buildings in one district, and in another debris fell on the roof of an office building, causing a fire.
Debris also fell close to a shopping centre, and at a different side windows were broken in a kindergarten, Klitschko said.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 183 drones at Ukraine overnight, out of which air defence shot down 156 drones.
A man was also hurt in a surrounding Kyiv region, the regional governor said.
Kremlin says it won’t stop fighting until Kyiv gives in as first day of peace talks end in Abu Dhabi
06:47 , Arpan RaiRussia has warned Ukraine that it will not stop fighting until Kyiv makes what the Kremlin considers the right “decisions” to end the conflict as the first day of peace talks between the parties ended on Wednesday.
Two-day trilateral meetings took place in Abu Dhabi and are set to continue on Thursday as US-brokered negotiations desperately seek to end the nearly four-year conflict.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner led the US delegation while Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov and Russia by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.
Kremlin says it won’t stop fighting until Kyiv gives in as first day of talks end
Trump's Ukraine envoy reveals why he left White House
06:16 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has said he left his role at the White House to speak more freely about the war-hit nation.
Kellogg had told associates he was set to leave the administration in January, in a departure that would mean the loss of a key advocate for Ukraine in the Trump administration.
The retired three-star US Army general quit his role on 31 December and joined Washington’s America First Policy Institute.
“I wanted to spend more time on the outside where I could be much more open and free to talk about Ukraine than I was inside the government," Kellogg told the Kyiv Independent.
Special presidential envoy is a temporary designation, and such envoys in theory must be confirmed by the Senate to stay in their positions past 360 days.
Kellogg had indicated that January would be a natural departure point, given existing legislation, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.
What are the major differences between Ukraine and Russia on peace talks
05:49 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump's administration has pushed both Kyiv and Moscow to find a compromise to end the four-year-old war, but the two sides remain far apart on key points despite several rounds of talks with US officials.
"The good news is that for the first time in a very long time, we have technical military teams from both Ukraine and Russia meeting in a forum that we'll also be involved in with our experts," US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in Washington yesterday.
"I don't want to say talks alone is progress, but it's good that there's engagement going on,” he said.
The most sensitive issues are Moscow's demands that Kyiv give up land it still controls and the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which sits in a Russian-occupied area.
Moscow wants Kyiv to pull its troops out of all the Donetsk region, including heavily fortified cities regarded as one of Ukraine's strongest defences, as a precondition for any deal.
Ukraine said the conflict should be frozen along current front lines and rejects any unilateral pullback of its forces.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russian troops would keep fighting until Kyiv made "decisions" that could bring the war to an end.
Russia occupies about 20 per cent of Ukraine's national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the 2022 invasion. Analysts say Russia has gained about 1.5 per cent of Ukrainian territory since early 2024.
"Russia is not winning its war against Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha told online media outlet Liga.
Watch: Polish PM says it's increasingly likely Epstein ran a Russian honeytrap to snare Americans
05:27 , Arpan RaiUkraine energy minister warns of more power cuts and possible Russian attacks
04:53 , Arpan RaiUkraine's energy minister warned households on Wednesday that planned blackouts could worsen in coming days and Russian forces could launch a new air attack to further disable power and heating networks.
Denys Shmyhal said well over 200 emergency crews were at work in the capital restoring heating to apartment buildings after a series of mass Russian attacks in January.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Tuesday that more than 1,100 buildings remained without heating.
"The situation with energy remains very difficult. There is a risk that timetables for power cuts could get worse," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram after a daily meeting of senior officials devoted to energy issues.
"This is linked to the last strike and the fact that the shortfalls in generation in the power system are still significant. And the Russians are preparing for new attacks on the energy sector in the coming week."
Shmyhal said that buildings where restoring heating is likely to take some time were to receive assurances that they will have electricity for 18 hours a day.
UN chief says end of Russia-US nuclear treaty marks 'grave moment'
04:26 , Arpan RaiUnited Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres called the expiration of the New START Treaty a grave moment for international peace and security and urged Russia and the United States to negotiate a new nuclear arms control framework without delay.
New START, which was due to run out at midnight on Wednesday, capped the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land – and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.
"For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the Russian Federation and the United States of America – the two States that possess the overwhelming majority of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons," Guterres said in a statement.
He said the dissolution of decades of achievement in arms control "could not come at a worse time – the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades”.
At the same time, Guterres said there was now an opportunity "to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context" and welcomed the appreciation by the leaders of both Russia and the United States of the need to prevent a return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation.
"The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action," Guterres said.
“I urge both states to return to the negotiating table without delay and to agree upon a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks, and strengthens our common security."
Putin exploiting Europe's oil tankers, says Zelensky
04:14 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised Europe for lax regulation of oil tankers that he says Russia is exploiting to continue to trade and fund its war.
Last year, he said, Russia involved more than 122 vessels in its oil trade that are operated or legally owned by European entities.
“This constitutes a significant portion of Russia’s tanker fleet,” he said in his nightly address.
“Europe must act far more decisively to counter Russia’s tanker fleet.”
Unfortunately, the Russians continue to exploit various jurisdictions around the world, operating under different corporate covers. They are exploiting Europe as well—and this is extremely serious.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 4, 2026
In 2025 alone, Russia involved more than 122 vessels in its oil trade that are… pic.twitter.com/FpRDbIQIDd
Watch: Zelensky anticipates 'significant step' from US-backed trilateral meeting
04:08 , Arpan RaiUkrainians escape death and flee from southeast as Russia lurches forward
03:53 , Arpan RaiFighting has intensified in recent weeks in key areas of the southeastern front, Ukraine's military has said, particularly around the town of Huliaipole – 40km (25 miles) to the east of Tavriiske.
In Tavriiske and nearby villages, which sit in a bulge in the frontline with Russian forces on three sides, residents told Reuters during a recent visit that they feared for their lives amid the constant threat of drone and bomb attacks.
In the last few weeks, buses have stopped running to the village of Tavriiske in southeast Ukraine from the major city of Zaporizhzhia, some 50km (31 miles) away.
As the war with Russia has drawn nearer, the village is slowly emptying. Maryna Vyshnevska, 35, said it had become too dangerous for her and her five children – some of the few remaining residents – to stay.
"We thought they (the Russians) would be driven back and all this would stop," Vyshnevska said, before packing her family and a handful of belongings into a police evacuation bus. "But when we realised it would only get worse and worse, it was better to leave,” she said.
Watch: Top Kremlin official’s chilling nuclear warning
03:50 , Jane Dalton
Top Kremlin official’s chilling nuclear warning as treaty due to expire
Russian shelling on market kills seven in Ukraine-controlled Donetsk
03:29 , Arpan RaiAt least seven people were killed and eight more hurt in Russian attacks in the town of Druzhkivka in the Ukraine-controlled frontline region of Donetsk in the east, the regional governor said.
Russia shelled the town with cluster munitions, targeting the market, and dropped two aerial bombs, Vadym Filashkin said his Telegram channel.
Filashkin said the town located about 11 miles from the frontline was struck directly at a busy morning market.
“This is another targeted war crime and further proof that all Russian statements about a ‘truce’ are worthless,” Filashkin wrote.
EU envoys agree details of €90bn loan for Ukraine
03:14 , Arpan RaiEuropean Union ambassadors have approved details of a €90bn (£77bn) loan for Ukraine, an initiative agreed by EU leaders in December to meet most of Kyiv's financial needs in 2026-2027 and keep up its fight against Russia's invasion.
The ambassadors reached the agreement at a closed-door meeting in Brussels yesterday, diplomats said.
The text of the agreement was not immediately available but the Council of the EU said in a statement that two thirds of the funds would be spent on military aid and one third on general budget support.
On military aid, the deal stipulates that Kyiv should use the loan primarily to buy weapons from Ukraine or the EU but could buy from other countries if certain conditions are met.
"Defence products should in principle only be procured from companies in the EU, Ukraine, or EEA-EFTA countries. Should Ukraine’s military needs require the urgent delivery of a defence product which happens not to be available in the EU, Ukraine or an EEA-EFTA country, a set of targeted derogations would apply," the Council said.
The agreement also requires approval by the European Parliament, which diplomats said they hoped would come soon to allow the Commission to start borrowing on the markets and make a first payment to Ukraine in early April.
EU leaders agreed in December to fund the loan through EU borrowing rather than back a plan to use Russian assets frozen in the bloc.
Ukraine and Russia end first day of peace talks, call it 'productive'
02:50 , Arpan RaiUkrainian and Russian officials wrapped up a "productive" first day of new US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, Kyiv's lead negotiator said.
The two-day trilateral meeting comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had exploited a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles on Tuesday.
“The work was substantive and productive, focused on concrete steps and practical solutions," Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, wrote on X.
A US official, who offered comment on condition of anonymity, also called the talks productive and said they would continue on Thursday morning.
Comedian jailed for over five years for 'legless veteran' joke
02:30 , Jane DaltonA Russian stand-up comedian has been convicted of inciting hatred and jailed for nearly six years over a joke he made about a legless war veteran, which triggered outrage among nationalists and military bloggers.
Artemy Ostanin was handed a sentence of five years and nine months and a fine of 300,000 roubles ($3,908).
Ostanin was also convicted of offending the feelings of Christians with another off-colour joke he made about Jesus, which angered Orthodox nationalists.
Trump praises Putin for ‘keeping his word’ despite huge attack
01:00 , Jane Dalton
Trump praises Putin for ‘keeping his word’ despite huge attack on Ukraine
Russia exploited energy truce to stockpile munitions – Zelensky
Wednesday 4 February 2026 23:59 , Jane DaltonUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia exploited a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles on Tuesday.
Mr Zelensky said it was critical for the talks to lead to real peace and not offer Russia a new opportunity to continue the war. Ukraine's partners, he said, had to exert more pressure on Moscow.
"It must be felt now. People in Ukraine must feel that the situation is genuinely moving toward peace and the end of the war, not toward Russia using everything to its advantage and continuing attacks," he said.
He also said Ukraine expected the talks to lead to a new prisoner exchange soon.
Lavrov says Zelensky does not want peace deal as it would mean the end of his career
Wednesday 4 February 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to seal a peace deal as it would mean the end of his political career, Russia's state RIA news agency reported.
Mr Zelensky has said he does want a deal, but is not willing to agree to Russian terms that he says amount to surrendering and is not ready to gift Moscow territory which its army has not won on the battlefield.
A US-Russia nuclear treaty expires today – risking a new arms race
Wednesday 4 February 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftThe last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States, known as New START, is poised to lapse on Thursday, potentially removing all restrictions on the world's two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in over half a century. This impending termination of the treaty has sparked fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a willingness to adhere to the treaty's limits for another year, provided Washington agrees to do the same. However, President Donald Trump has remained noncommittal regarding an extension.
A White House official, speaking anonymously on Monday due to not being authorised to comment publicly, stated that Mr Trump has consistently indicated a desire to maintain limits on nuclear weapons and to include China in future arms control discussions. The official added that President Trump would make a decision on nuclear arms control "on his own timeline."
Here is a guide to the treaty and why it matters.
Mark Trevelyan reports:
The last remaining US-Russia nuclear treaty expires today – risking a new arms race
Toll of Ukrainian soldiers killed hits 55,000, Zelensky says
Wednesday 4 February 2026 21:02 , Jane DaltonThe number of Ukrainian soldiers killed on the battlefield as a result of the war with Russia is estimated at 55,000, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says.
He told France 2 TV: "In Ukraine, officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield - either professionals or those conscripted - is 55,000.”
Mr Zelensky, whose comments were translated into French, added that on top of that casualties figure was a large number of people considered as officially missing.
Russia launches 105 drones and hits 14 locations in overnight air attack - ICYMI
Wednesday 4 February 2026 21:00 , Alex CroftIn its daily update on Russian overnight air attacks earlier, the Ukrainian air force said Moscow’s forces had launched 105 Shahed, Gerbera and Italmas drones overnight since Tuesday, adding that 88 of which were downed by Ukrainian air defences.
The attack was still ongoing as of 8am local time (6am GMT).
“Hits by 17 UAVs had been recorded at 14 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at 5 locations” across the country’s north, south and east, it added in the update on Telegram.
Drones were launched from the Russian cities of Oryol, Bryansk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and from occupied Donetsk and Crimea.
Xi and Putin hail relationship in video call on Wednesday
Wednesday 4 February 2026 20:02 , Alex CroftChina's president Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both hailed their ties during a video call on Wednesday held in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Putin said the Moscow-Beijing relationship was an important stabilising factor at a time of growing global turbulence, in a Russian state television broadcast of the talks.
Xi, speaking via an interpreter, called for the countries to work out a "grand plan" to further bilateral relations which he said were advancing in the right direction.
He said China-Russia ties had "withstood international turbulence" and pledged to coordinate with Moscow on issues concerning their core interests.
China and Russia declared a "no limits" strategic partnership days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, China has emerged as an economic lifeline for Russia by stepping up trade with the northern neighbour while Western powers piled sanctions on Moscow.
Where is the frontline in Ukraine?
Wednesday 4 February 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftRussian stand-up comedian jailed for six years after joke about legless war veteran
Wednesday 4 February 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftReuters news agency is reporting that a Russian stand-up comedian was convicted of inciting hatred and jailed for nearly six years on Wednesday over a joke he made about a legless war veteran, which triggered outrage among nationalists and military bloggers.
A reporter in court said that the comedian, Artemy Ostanin, had been handed a sentence of five years and nine months and a fine of 300,000 roubles ($3,908).
It was the latest in a series of rulings which have harshly punished people judged by the authorities to have spoken rudely or falsely about the Russian army at a time when it is fighting in Ukraine.
Mr Ostanin was also convicted of offending the feelings of Christians with another off-colour joke he made about Jesus, which angered Orthodox nationalists.
Mr Ostanin, who had apologised to anyone whose feelings he had hurt, denied wrongdoing and said that the joke he made about the war veteran had made no mention of the conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow's deficit could triple due to declining Indian oil purchases - report
Wednesday 4 February 2026 17:29 , Alex CroftRussia's public deficit could hit almost triple the intended target by the end of the year as a fall in Indian purchases of oil and growing oil trade discounts eat into revenues, a source close to the government told Reuters news agency.
Spending may also be higher than expected, contributing to the issue, it added.
The source cited calculations by economists from a government-linked think tank, which are not set to be published, but are the latest sign of growing strains on a Russian economy facing sanctions, high interest rates and labour shortages.
The calculations showed a possible fall in energy revenues by 18 per cent in 2026 compared to the government's plan, along with a possible rise in spending by between 4.1 per cent and 8.4 per cent.
Total budget revenues are expected to fall by 6 per cent from the plan to 37.9 trillion roubles ($494.78 billion).
"The budget situation is sharply deteriorating. Revenues will be lower and expenditures higher," the source said.
Pope Leo urges Russian and US leaders to renew New Start
Wednesday 4 February 2026 17:01 , Alex CroftPope Leo urged Russian and US leaders to renew their last arms control treaty, New START, which caps the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by each country.
Leo, the first US pope, said during his weekly audience at the Vatican that the current world situation "calls for doing everything possible to avert a new arms race."
"I issue an urgent appeal not to let this instrument lapse," said the pope. "It is more urgent than ever to replace the logic of fear and distrust with a shared ethic, capable of guiding choices toward the common good."
In pictures: First day of US-brokered peace talks end
Wednesday 4 February 2026 16:45 , Maira Butt
US-brokered talks 'productive' says Ukraine's top negotiator
Wednesday 4 February 2026 16:43 , Maira ButtRustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top negotiator in trilateral peace talks involving Russia and the US, said that the first day of meetings in Abu Dhabi were "substantive and productive".
“The work was substantive and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions,” Umerov wrote on Telegram.
Trilateral talks end for a second day as Russia says Kyiv must give in
Wednesday 4 February 2026 16:38 , Maira ButtTwo-day trilateral meetings took place in Abu Dhabi and are set to continue on Thursday as US-brokered negotiations desperately seek to end the nearly four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law led the US delegation while Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov and Russia by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.
However, despite reports that the discussions were constructive, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russian troops would continue to fight until Kyiv made the right “decisions”.
Russia will act carefully and responsibly after New START treaty expires, says Kremlin aide
Wednesday 4 February 2026 16:31 , Alex CroftRussia will act carefully and responsibly following the expiry of the New START treaty with the US that limits the size of both countries' strategic nuclear arsenals, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
The treaty, signed in 2010, expires at the end of Wednesday.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said that Moscow would publish a document on Wednesday explaining its position on the expiry of the treaty.
"We made sure it includes answers to the many questions that have been received," Zakharova said.
Zelensky accuses Russia of violating Trump-brokered truce after overnight strikes
Wednesday 4 February 2026 16:00 , Alex CroftTrump and Xi discuss Ukraine in phone call
Wednesday 4 February 2026 15:47 , Alex CroftChinese president Xi Jinping held phone talks with US president Donald Trump on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Trump, who said he has an extremely good personal relationship with Xi, said the pair discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as several other topics including Taiwan, Iran, and the purchase of oil and gas from China by the US.
The Kremlin had advance warning of the call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said according to Interfax news agency, which came after Vladimir Putin also spoke to Xi on Wednesday.
Russia seizes control of two villages in eastern Ukraine, defence ministry says
Wednesday 4 February 2026 15:44 , Alex CroftMoscow’s defence ministry has claimed its forces have seized control of the settlements of Staroukrainka and Stepanivka in eastern Ukraine, state-run TASS news agency reported.
The Independent was not able to verify the battlefield report.
EU ambassadors agree details for 90bn Ukraine loan
Wednesday 4 February 2026 15:29 , Alex CroftEuropean Union ambassadors on Wednesday approved details of a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, agreed by EU leaders in December to meet most of Kyiv's financial needs for the next years and keep up its fight against Russia's invasion.
The ambassadors reached the agreement at a closed-door meeting in Brussels, several diplomats told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The conditions of the loan haven’t yet been publicised, but we’ll bring you any further details here on our live page.
At least 7 killed in cluster munitions attack on Donetsk town
Wednesday 4 February 2026 14:59 , Alex CroftAt least seven people were killed and eight more hurt in Russian attacks in the town of Druzhkivka in the Ukraine-controlled frontline region of Donetsk in the east, the regional governor said on Wednesday.
Russia shelled the town with cluster munitions, targeting the market, and dropped two aerial bombs, Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram messaging app.
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny they are targeting civilians in the war that started with Russia's invasion in 2022.
Cluster munitions are internationally banned under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, but key nations including Russia, Ukraine and the US are not party to the convention.
Pictured: Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations in Abu Dhabi
Wednesday 4 February 2026 14:38 , Alex Croft
Russia has attacked Ukraine's energy system 217 in 2026, says Ukrainian PM
Wednesday 4 February 2026 14:30 , Alex CroftRussia attacked Ukraine's energy system 217 times since the start of 2026, Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Wednesday.
"Overall, only since the beginning of this year 217 Russian attacks on our energy sector have been recorded," Ms Svyrydenko said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
She added that “energy workers, utility workers, and railway workers continue to eliminate the consequences of massive shelling of energy infrastructure”.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have been relentless in 2026, while the country has been in the grip of its coldest winter in years.
Full report: Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for US-brokered talks
Wednesday 4 February 2026 13:52 , Alex CroftEnvoys from Russia and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for another round of U.S.-brokered talks on ending the almost four-year war, a Ukrainian negotiator said.
The delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were joined in the United Arab Emirates by U.S. officials, Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council chief, who was present at the meeting, said on social media.
Umerov said the planned two-day talks started with all three delegations present, after which negotiators were to break into groups according to topics and then meet as a full group again at the end.
The American team was due to include special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who also attended last month’s meeting, according to the White House.
Read more here:
Russia and Ukraine envoys meet in Abu Dhabi for US-brokered talks
Xi and Putin hail relationship in video call on Wednesday
Wednesday 4 February 2026 13:30 , Alex CroftChina's president Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both hailed their ties during a video call on Wednesday held in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Putin said the Moscow-Beijing relationship was an important stabilising factor at a time of growing global turbulence, in a Russian state television broadcast of the talks.
Xi, speaking via an interpreter, called for the countries to work out a "grand plan" to further bilateral relations which he said were advancing in the right direction.
He said China-Russia ties had "withstood international turbulence" and pledged to coordinate with Moscow on issues concerning their core interests.
China and Russia declared a "no limits" strategic partnership days before Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, China has emerged as an economic lifeline for Russia by stepping up trade with the northern neighbour while Western powers piled sanctions on Moscow.
Low-level Russia-France talks underway ahead of possible Macron-Putin meeting
Wednesday 4 February 2026 13:09 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin said on Wednesday that working level talks between Russia and France were under way, ahead of a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was nothing to announce for now when it came to the possibly meeting of the presidents.
The French leader said on Tuesday that he was looking at resuming contact with Putin on the war in Ukraine even though he saw little readiness from Moscow to negotiate a ceasefire and that discussions were taking place at a technical level.
Putin abusing ceasefire talks to attack Ukrainian infrastructure, says EU
Wednesday 4 February 2026 13:07 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin is abusing the ceasefire talks to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, a spokesperson of the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Ms Hipper told reporters that the Russian president can “end this war right now”.
She added: "He doesn't show any signs of wanting to do so. He misuses even the discussions on the ceasefire to continuously attack the civilian infrastructure and kill innocent people".
Ukraine lambasts ‘infantile and irresponsible’ Gianni Infantino for trying to overturn Russia ban
Wednesday 4 February 2026 12:48 , Alex CroftUkraine’s sports minister has branded Fifa president Gianni Infantino “infantile” and “irresponsible” for his desire to overturn Russia’s ban from world football.
Fifa’s ruling executive and European football’s governing body Uefa imposed a global ban on Russia at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when other European nations said they would refuse to play or host Russia’s matches.
Four years later, Vladimir Putin shows no signs of backing down and the war is still raging, but Infantino has signalled his intention to bring Russia back into the fold, saying the ban has been a failure.
“We have to [look at readmitting Russia]. Definitely,” Infantino told Sky Sports. “This ban has not achieved anything; it has just created more frustration and hatred.
“Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
Our sport live editor Luke Baker writes:
Ukraine lambasts ‘infantile’ Gianni Infantino for trying to overturn Russia ban
Kyiv says it is seeking to understand US and Russia's 'real intentions' in Abu Dhabi
Wednesday 4 February 2026 12:29 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing more from Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, who was speaking as talks in Abu Dhabi got underway.
Recent mass Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure will hinder peace talks, they told a news briefing on Wednesday.
Kyiv is seeking to understand what Moscow’s and Washington’s “real intentions” are regarding the talks in Abu Dhabi, she added.
In pictures: Damage in Odesa following Russian drone strikes
Wednesday 4 February 2026 11:50 , Alex Croft
Ongoing trilateral peace talks focussing on military matters, says Kyiv
Wednesday 4 February 2026 11:32 , Alex CroftThe latest round of trilateral peace talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington will focus on military matters, Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Wednesday, without clarifying exactly what this entails.
Tykhyi said Ukraine wanted to hear feedback from the Russian delegation about issues discussed in previous talks, and that Kyiv wanted to understand what Moscow and Washington are "really ready for".
