Russia won’t halt Ukraine strikes until it runs out of missiles, Volodymyr Zelensky says
- The president warns that he expects new attacks that could be as bad as last week’s, which left millions of people without heat, water or power
- The Kremlin denies Russia has plans to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant; EU governments fail to agree on a price cap on Russian oil
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukrainians to expect another brutal week of cold and darkness ahead, predicting more Russian attacks on infrastructure that would not cease until Moscow ran out of missiles.
Russia has been carrying out massive missile bombardments on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure roughly weekly since early October, with each barrage having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and a frigid winter sets in.
In an overnight video address, Zelensky said he expected new attacks this week that could be as bad as last week’s – the worst yet that left millions of people with no heat, water or power.
“We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes. We know this for a fact,” Zelensky said. “And as long as they have missiles, they, unfortunately, will not calm down.”
Kyiv says the attacks, which Russia acknowledges target Ukrainian infrastructure, are intended to harm civilians, making them a war crime. Moscow denies its intent is to hurt civilians but said last week their suffering would not end unless Ukraine yielded to Russia’s demands, without spelling them out.
In Kyiv, snow fell and temperatures were hovering around freezing as millions in and around the Ukrainian capital struggled with disruptions to electricity supply and central heating caused by the waves of Russian air strikes.