Ukraine-Russia war latest: ‘Brutal’ attack on Kyiv leaves millions without power as Abu Dhabi peace talks end without breakthrough

The governor of the Russian border region of Belgorod said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had launched a “massive” attack on the region’s main town, damaging energy infrastructure, but causing no casualties.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the incident as “the most massive shelling of the town of Belgorod”.

“Energy sites have been damaged. A building has been set on fire and a crew from the Emergencies Ministry is tackling the blaze,” Gladkov said. “Fragments from a downed drone triggered a fire in a courtyard.”

A downed drone had also damaged homes in a nearby village.

Ukrainian forces have attacked the town of Belgorod and the region around it regularly since Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February 2022.

Unofficial Telegram channels from the region said the shelling had gone on for some time on Saturday evening, with a series of explosions sounding in the town.

Following the Russian strikes on January 20, around 5,600 apartment buildings in Kyiv were left without heating and almost half of Kyiv was believed to be without heat and power, affecting around one million people. The situation is so dire that the city has set up “heating tents” to help people stay warm in the freezing temperatures. Other cities have also been attacked.

Following the Russian strikes on January 20, around 5,600 apartment buildings in Kyiv were left without heating and almost half of Kyiv was believed to be without heat and power, affecting around one million people. The situation is so dire that the city has set up “heating tents” to help people stay warm in the freezing temperatures. Other cities have also been attacked.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine of meddling in his country’s parliamentary elections, claiming that Kyiv was “issuing threats and openly interfering” in the elections.

Orban, seen as a close ally of Moscow, is facing his biggest electoral challenge since taking office in 2010. He has dialled up his anti-Ukraine position in the run up to elections in April.

In a post on X, the populist-right prime minister said: “The Ukrainians have gone on the offensive. They’re issuing threats and openly interfering in the Hungarian elections. Their goal is to secure funds and force their way into the European Union as soon as possible. As a member of the European Union, Hungary has the right to say no. Our patriotic government clearly says no.”

Orban said his government’s stance is to protect Hungarian households and national security, saying Budapest does not want taxpayer money sent to Ukraine or for Hungary to be pulled into the war.

“We must show that Hungarians cannot be threatened or intimidated. We are not built that way. Alongside Brussels, we send a clear message to Kyiv as well: we will not pay!”

Ukrainian officials stated Vladimir Putin is not ready for peace following a “barbaric” missile and drone strike on Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The overnight attacks injured dozens and killed at least one person in the capital, occurring just before the second day of three-way peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike, asserting that Putin’s actions prove he belongs at a special tribunal, not at peace talks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasised that Russia must be prepared to end the war it initiated during the landmark peace discussions.

The Donbas region, including the Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk areas, remains a significant point of contention in the conflict.

British prime minister Keir Starmer spoke with US president Donald Trump by telephone on Saturday as the two leaders discussed ceasefire progress in Ukraine and the need for bolstered security in the Arctic, 10 Downing Street said in a statement.

Starmer referred to the subject of security in Arctic as an absolute priority for his government, the statement said.

The leaders agreed on the need to see progress towards a sustainable ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia war, with the prime minister reiterating that international partners must continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Putin’s “barbaric attacks”.

The next round of US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, a US official said on Saturday, hailing progress over the last two days of discussions even though they ended on Saturday without a deal.

“We saw a lot of respect in the room between the parties because they were really looking to find solutions,” the official told reporters after the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We got to real granular detail and that next Sunday will be, God willing, another meeting where we push this deal towards its final culmination.”

The governor of the Russian border region of Belgorod said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had launched a “massive” attack on the region’s main town, damaging energy infrastructure, but causing no casualties.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the incident as “the most massive shelling of the town of Belgorod”.

“Energy sites have been damaged. A building has been set on fire and a crew from the Emergencies Ministry is tackling the blaze,” Gladkov said. “Fragments from a downed drone triggered a fire in a courtyard.”

A downed drone had also damaged homes in a nearby village.

Ukrainian forces have attacked the town of Belgorod and the region around it regularly since Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February 2022.

Unofficial Telegram channels from the region said the shelling had gone on for some time on Saturday evening, with a series of explosions sounding in the town.

The Russian defence ministry said its forces have completed the takeover of the village of Starytsya in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region.

Ukraine has rejected Russia’s claim.

The village is near the town of Vovchansk, close to the Ukraine-Russia border, where Russian forces launched an incursion in May 2024.

Moscow’s troops have in recent months tried to extend gains in the area despite Ukrainian resistance.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s military, in a report late on Saturday, said Russian forces had launched six attacks on an area including Starytsya. But it made no acknowledgement that the village had changed hands.

Ukraine’s DeepState military blog, which uses open-source reports to track the positions of both armies, made no mention of the village in a report on Friday, but said Russian forces “are continuing their pressure in the Vovchansk area”.

The Russian defence ministry report said its troops had also carried out a massive strike overnight on Ukrainian long-range drone sites and energy facilities.