Ukraine FM: Putin “cynically” struck Kyiv during talks
A Ukrainian emergency personnel works to extinguish a fire at the site of an air attack amid the Russian invasion, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 24, 2026. (Oleksandr Magula/AFP)
Ukraine accused Russia of launching a major assault on Kyiv and Kharkiv while peace talks were underway in Abu Dhabi, according to The New Arab plus agencies on January 24th.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on January 24th that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “cynically” ordered the attack at the same time delegations from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were meeting for negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Writing on X, Sybiha said the strikes showed that Putin “belongs not at the table of peace, but in the dock of a special tribunal,” accusing Moscow of undermining diplomacy with violence.
Russia carried out multiple waves of air attacks targeting Ukraine’s two key cities in the early hours of January 24th. Authorities confirmed at least one death and more than 20 cases of injuries. Ukraine’s air force said Moscow fired 375 drones and 21 missiles, with energy infrastructure again among the main targets. This attack triggered widespread power and heating outages.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier cautioned against drawing quick conclusions from the first day of talks, urging Russia to demonstrate genuine readiness to end the war.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin signalled no shift in its core demands regarding Ukraine. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia still expects Ukraine to relinquish the eastern Donbas region, including the remaining parts of Donetsk province under Ukrainian control – a position Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. Zelensky has refused to cede territory that Russian forces failed to capture after years of fighting, while opinion polls indicate strong domestic opposition to territorial concessions.
Despite Moscow’s claims that it seeks a diplomatic settlement, Ukrainian observers say the latest strikes reflect a continued reliance on military pressure. Kyiv had already faced two large-scale overnight attacks since the start of the year, and reportedly around 800,000 residents were left without electricity amid harsh winter weather conditions, after the most recent attack.
The New Arab plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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