President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will adjust the work of its negotiating team following Russia’s overnight strike on energy infrastructure on Tuesday, Feb. 3, accusing Moscow of exploiting an “energy truce” to prepare a major attack.
“Each such Russian strike confirms that Moscow’s attitude has not changed: They still bet on war and the destruction of Ukraine and do not take diplomacy seriously,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
“The work of our negotiation team will be adjusted accordingly.”
Speaking during a conference call on the situation in the regions – particularly in the energy sector – Zelensky described the attack as a targeted strike on Ukraine’s energy system, carried out using a large number of ballistic missiles.
Zelensky said Russia took advantage of a US proposal to pause strikes not to support diplomacy, but to stockpile missiles and wait for the coldest days of winter, when temperatures across much of Ukraine dropped below -20°C (-4°F).
Energy facilities were hit in several regions, with the heaviest damage reported in Kyiv, in the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Kyiv regions, as well as the Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
“All necessary forces are involved,” Zelensky said, adding that he instructed the energy ministry, the interior ministry and the government to deploy reserve equipment and urgently contact partners for additional support.
He said he was discussing the issue directly with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
During a joint press conference with Rutte, Zelensky recalled that US President Donald Trump had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to suspend strikes on Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure.
“Overnight, in our view, Russia broke its promise,” Zelensky said. “Either they think a week does not consist of seven full days, or they are simply betting on war and waited for the coldest days of this winter.”
According to Zelensky, the US initiative envisioned a week-long de-escalation – until the next round of talks involving Ukrainian, Russian and US representatives – to demonstrate that tensions were easing.
“Instead, they postponed the strike, increased the number of missiles and drones, and attacked on the coldest days,” he said.
Zelensky said Russia carried out a record-breaking attack overnight, using 28 cruise missiles and 43 missiles of various types flying ballistic trajectories.
Such targets, he added, can only be intercepted by Patriot air defense systems, underscoring Ukraine’s urgent need for additional missiles.
“The Russians sought to deprive people of electricity and heating and provoke a blackout,” he said, adding that Kyiv would raise the issue with Washington, and expects partners not to remain silent.
Overnight on Feb. 3, Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine using missiles and strike drones. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 450 of the 521 aerial targets, while 27 missiles and 31 drones hit targets at 27 locations.
However, last week Zelensky said no formal energy truce existed, adding that Ukraine had no ceasefire agreement or direct deal with Moscow. However, Kyiv was ready to suspend energy strikes only if Russia did the same, he added.
“This is not an agreement. It is an opportunity,” Zelensky said. “If Russia does not strike us, we will not strike back.”
He stated that any outcome now depends entirely on Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed on Jan. 30 that Trump personally asked Putin to halt attacks on Kyiv until Feb. 1, though it remains unclear whether Putin agreed.
“I can say that President Trump did indeed make a personal request to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week until Feb. 1 in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Trump earlier told a White House cabinet meeting that he had asked Putin to stop strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities for a week.
Speculation about a pause first surfaced on Jan. 29, when a pro-Kremlin war blogger claimed Russia had temporarily halted strikes on Kyiv and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure until Feb. 3. Ukrainian war bloggers later reported a parallel instruction not to strike Russian energy facilities.
Washington has urged both Kyiv and Moscow to show restraint, particularly on long-range strikes, to create space for diplomacy. Zelensky said Ukraine would act “mirror-like” – and only in response to Russia’s actions.