Talks about possible peace solutions are being held in Europe and elsewhere, but the war between Ukraine and Russia continues to rage.
The Ukrainian capital Kiev was again subjected to large-scale Russian attacks, with apartment buildings being bombed and set on fire. At least seven people were killed when the attacks began at 1 a.m. Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Outside the buildings, crowds of evacuated residents gathered in the winter cold, watching the firefighters put out the fire. Crowds of people gathered in the subway stations, seeking shelter.
"Putin gave a terrorist response to the US and President Trump's peace proposal," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on social media.
“Rainy glasses”
Russia fired 22 missiles and more than 400 attack drones overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities. It is one of a series of attacks in an escalation that has been ongoing in recent months, in which many civilian residential buildings have been hit and many residents have been killed.
This time too, the Ukrainian authorities are raising the alarm about attacks directed at the electricity grid, where the aim appears to be to cut off power and heating for Ukrainian households.
Russia's military claims, as it usually does, that attacks are only directed at military targets and infrastructure.
In eastern Kiev, 90-year-old Lyubov Petrivna told the AP that her apartment was completely destroyed in the nighttime attack and that it was “raining glass” on her. She has no high hopes for the ongoing negotiations:
Nobody will ever do anything about it. Putin won't stop until he's finished with us.
Fourth largest
In Russia, regional authorities have reported an unusually large Ukrainian attack, involving up to 250 drones. Three people were reportedly killed in an attack in Taganrog, near Ukraine's southeastern border by the sea. The regional governor said several private residential buildings and high-rise buildings were damaged.
In terms of number of drones, it was Ukraine's fourth largest attack against Russia to date, according to AP's compilation.
As has happened several times in recent weeks, neighboring countries to the west of Ukraine, this time Romania and Moldova, have raised the alarm about drones violating their airspace.
