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Ukrainian drone strikes targeted energy infrastructure across Russian-controlled areas in southern Ukraine in an attack on Sunday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
Ukrainian officials say the attack is an effort to “weaponize winter,” much as Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s power grid. Russia’s attacks continued in kind overnight, killing two people, Ukraine says.
More than 200,000 households in the Russia-held part of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region had no electricity on Sunday, according to the Kremlin-installed local governor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that repairing the country’s energy system remains challenging, “but we are doing everything we can to restore everything as quickly as possible.”
RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINE PEACE TALKS ‘PROCEEDING CONSTRUCTIVELY,’ AS KREMLIN LAUNCHES DEADLY STRIKE ON ODESA
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference. (Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)
He said that two people were killed in overnight attacks across the country that struck Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa.
In total, more than 1,300 attack drones, 1,050 guided aerial bombs and 29 missiles of various types were used by Russia to strike Ukraine this week, Ukraine says.
Meanwhile, discussions continue between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia in an effort to secure a peace deal. Zelenskyy has consistently argued Russia is not committed to the peace process.
RUSSIA FIRES NEW HYPERSONIC MISSILE IN MASSIVE UKRAINE ATTACK, KREMLIN SAYS
A serviceman of the 148th Separate Artillery Zhytomyr Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fires a M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on the front line, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. (REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov)
“If Russia deliberately delays the diplomatic process, the world’s response should be decisive: more help for Ukraine and more pressure on the aggressor,” Zelenskyy said Sunday.
President Donald Trump argued last week, however, that it was Ukraine, not Russia, holding up a possible peace agreement.
“I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump told Reuters of Putin. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.”
When he was asked why U.S. intervention had not brought about an end to the war, Trump responded: “Zelenskyy,” Reuters reported.
President Donald Trump is pushing Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
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Trump refused to go into detail on why he believed Zelenskyy was holding back, saying that he believes the Ukrainian president was “having a hard time getting there,” referring to a peace agreement. However, later in the interview, Trump said he would be willing to meet with Zelenskyy at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.