A 23-year-old female police officer was killed and at least 25 others were injured in an explosion in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to Ukrainian officials who described the incident as a terrorist attack. The blast occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday when police responded to a report of theft and vandalism at a shop. Two explosives hidden in a trash bin detonated—one as the first patrol arrived and another when a second team reached the scene.

The deceased officer was identified as Viktoria Shpylka, who had served since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Eleven of the injured were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers in critical condition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one suspect had been detained in connection with the attack.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that the attacker was a Ukrainian woman. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that police and security forces arrested a 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region. Authorities are investigating whether others were involved.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already started World War III. In an interview with the BBC, Zelensky said that only intense military and economic pressure can stop Putin. He rejected any notion of Ukraine being on the path to defeat, asserting that the war would end with Ukraine’s victory.

Zelensky emphasized that accepting a ceasefire under Russia’s conditions would mean surrendering strategically important territories that Russia failed to capture despite heavy losses. He argued that Russia seeks to impose a different way of life on the world, replacing the choices people have made for themselves. According to him, the key question now is how far Putin can go and how the world will stop him.

The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Russia must be confronted through sustained military and economic measures, not by conceding territory or making strategic compromises under the guise of peace.

Former Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko was detained while allegedly trying to leave the country, according to a statement from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Authorities said his arrest is part of the ongoing 'Midas case,' a broad investigation into corruption within Ukraine’s energy sector. The bureau stated that the detention is linked to allegations of large-scale embezzlement and illicit enrichment.

The report notes that Galushchenko, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky, was accused in September 2025 of illegally earning and transferring abroad about 100 million dollars. The scandal previously triggered a political crisis, leading both the sitting and former energy ministers to resign at Zelensky’s request, though both denied wrongdoing. Investigators claim the misappropriated funds came through state enterprises, including Energoatom, which operates Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.

Preliminary investigations remain ongoing, focusing on how funds intended for strengthening the security of critical energy facilities were allegedly diverted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the United States of pressuring Kyiv, rather than Moscow, to make concessions in ongoing peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said sustainable peace requires concrete and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, not just compromises. A trilateral meeting in Geneva, mediated by US President Donald Trump, is scheduled for next week, which Zelensky views with cautious optimism but also frustration over the negotiation format.

Zelensky criticized the absence of European nations from the talks, calling it a major mistake that could hinder prospects for ending the war. One of the most contentious issues remains Russia’s demand for Ukrainian troop withdrawal from the Donetsk region. Kyiv refuses unilateral withdrawal and seeks at least 20 years of Western security guarantees, while the US has proposed 15 years. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to oppose any foreign troop presence in Ukraine.

Zelensky also called for a national referendum before any peace deal, alongside nationwide elections, a ceasefire monitoring mission, and prisoner exchanges. He said Russia holds about 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine detains around 4,000 Russian troops.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'slave of war' during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. He said Putin may see himself as a Russian emperor but is bound by war. Zelensky stated that every power plant in Ukraine has suffered major damage from Russian attacks and warned that granting territorial concessions to Moscow would only fuel further aggression.

Drawing a parallel to the 1938 Munich Agreement, Zelensky cautioned that appeasing Putin would not bring peace, likening the situation to European powers’ concessions to Hitler before World War II. He made these remarks just days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing Russia of killing thousands, destroying eastern Ukraine, and forcing millions to flee.

Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s call for Western nations to expedite air defense supplies to Ukraine, emphasizing that his government is doing everything possible to end the war. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s power grid to inflict suffering during the harsh winter.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that ending the ongoing war requires a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to resolve the most difficult issues in peace negotiations. He claimed that only U.S. President Donald Trump has the authority to secure an agreement capable of stopping the conflict. Sybiha expressed Kyiv’s eagerness to accelerate the end of the four-year-long war and to use the current momentum in U.S.-mediated talks before the upcoming midterm congressional elections in November.

In an interview with Reuters at his office on the Dnipro River in Kyiv, Sybiha stated that most points in a 20-point peace plan, developed through recent trilateral discussions among Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, have already been agreed upon. However, he noted that a few highly sensitive and difficult issues remain, which must be resolved directly by the national leaders. The main unresolved matter concerns territorial control: Russia demands that Ukraine cede the remaining 20 percent of eastern Donetsk, while Kyiv firmly rejects this and insists on regaining control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian occupation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the United States wants the ongoing war with Russia to end by mid-June. He stated that both Ukraine and Russia have been invited to the United States next week for discussions aimed at achieving that goal. According to Zelensky, the US has proposed that negotiating teams from both countries meet in the US, possibly in Miami, and Ukraine has confirmed its participation.

No immediate comments were available from Washington or Moscow regarding the proposal. The report noted that US President Donald Trump has long been pressing for an end to the conflict since taking office. Meanwhile, Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages during the harsh winter.

Zelensky also mentioned that a possible trilateral meeting among leaders was discussed for the first time, though he cautioned that preparatory steps are needed before such a meeting. He added that the US aims to complete everything by June, influenced by its internal affairs, but did not provide further details.

Russia has launched large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages across multiple regions. The strikes have left millions of people without electricity in freezing temperatures, creating severe hardship. According to Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo, the latest assault targeted key power facilities, resulting in blackouts in most areas. Restoration work will begin once security conditions allow.

The attacks come as Ukraine and Russia recently held two rounds of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi since January. During those meetings, both sides agreed to a prisoner exchange, but no progress was made on territorial issues. Meanwhile, in Moscow, a senior military intelligence general was shot on Friday, and Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the incident. Kyiv has not commented on the accusation.

The renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy network highlight the continuing volatility of the conflict and the humanitarian strain on civilians enduring winter without power.

Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange following two days of peace talks in Abu Dhabi mediated by the United States. It marked the first such exchange in four months, with each side releasing 157 detainees. The discussions in the United Arab Emirates capital involved delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, focusing on territorial concessions and security guarantees for Ukraine. However, no progress was reported from the talks.

Amid the negotiations, Russia intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure, and the prolonged war continued to cause heavy losses. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Starlink terminals used by Russia for drone strikes inside Ukraine had been disabled. On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that more than 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war, with many others officially listed as missing.

The exchange and talks highlight ongoing international efforts to ease tensions, though the lack of progress suggests that a lasting resolution remains distant.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war with Russia. He revealed the figure during an interview with France 2 television on February 4, 2026. According to Turkey’s state media TRT World, Zelensky said the casualties include both professional soldiers and conscripts, and many people remain officially listed as missing.

A report by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that by spring 2026, total military casualties, including the dead, wounded, and missing from both sides, could reach about two million. CSIS estimated Russia’s military losses at around 1.2 million and Ukraine’s at between 500,000 and 600,000, with roughly 325,000 Russian soldiers killed over nearly four years of conflict.

The United Nations reported that civilian casualties in Ukraine reached their highest level in 2025 since 2022, with at least 2,500 civilians killed and more than 12,000 injured that year. The UN warned that the actual figures may be higher.

Russia carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure across five regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday. He said the assault, which occurred on Monday, was the largest of its kind against Ukraine’s power system in nearly four years of war. According to Zelensky, Russia fired more than 70 ballistic and cruise missiles and deployed 450 drones to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting only 38 missiles, meaning many struck their intended targets.

The attacks caused significant damage to power plants and infrastructure in Kyiv and other areas. Private energy company DTEK described the assault as the most powerful strike of the year. The offensive came as temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius, worsening civilian hardship. Zelensky accused Russia of choosing terror over diplomacy and urged allies to apply maximum pressure on Moscow.

The scale of the strikes and the severe winter conditions suggest prolonged disruptions to Ukraine’s energy supply and increased humanitarian strain.

At least 12 people were killed when a Russian drone struck a bus carrying miners in Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday. The bus was traveling near the city of Ternivka, about 65 kilometers from the front line. Energy company DTEK confirmed that all victims were returning from work at one of its mines. Photos released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service showed shattered windows and a damaged windshield.

Regional military administrator Oleksandr Hancha reported on Telegram that the drone hit a company shuttle bus in the Pavlohrad district, injuring at least seven others. The AFP news agency said it could not independently verify the circumstances of the attack. Hancha also reported that a separate overnight drone strike in the city of Dnipro killed a man and a woman.

The attacks occurred as the deadline expired for a unilateral reduction in Russian strikes announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump had claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt winter assaults on Kyiv and other cities, though the terms remained unclear and the Kremlin did not confirm any weather-related ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country's negotiators are ready to discuss Moscow’s proposal to end the war with the United States. In a Saturday evening address, he stated that Kyiv is waiting for Washington’s response regarding the next meeting. His remarks suggested that the second round of talks among US, Russian, and Ukrainian officials, scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, might be postponed.

Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to work in any format to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and is ready for next week’s meetings. His comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff described his meeting in Florida with Russian Ambassador Kirill Dmitriev as “productive and constructive.” The first direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators under US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan were held in Abu Dhabi last week, with both sides agreeing to resume discussions on Sunday.

Washington claims both sides are close to a deal, but Kyiv maintains that no consensus has been reached on key territorial issues in any postwar settlement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to temporarily halt attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas at the request of US President Donald Trump. The Kremlin announced on Friday that the pause will remain in effect until Sunday. According to reports from Kyiv, Trump made the personal appeal due to fears of a humanitarian crisis caused by an intense cold wave. The Kremlin said the request was part of US efforts to advance mediation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Continuous Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left many parts of Kyiv without heating. Weather forecasts predict temperatures could drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius in the coming days, worsening the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump asked Putin to suspend attacks until February 1 to create a favorable environment for peace talks, though neither Moscow nor Washington specified when the request was made.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Trump’s announcement, saying Ukraine would refrain from retaliatory strikes if Russia halts attacks on its energy facilities. He added that the countdown for the one-week pause had already begun and that the next steps depend on Ukraine’s partners, particularly the United States.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a plan to intensify attacks against Russian forces, aiming to ensure that Russian losses each month exceed the number of reinforcements Moscow can deploy. In a January 26 address to military personnel, Zelensky said Ukrainian units must reach a level of destruction where Russia’s monthly casualties surpass its troop replacements, targeting around 50,000 Russian losses per month. He cited video analyses indicating that 35,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in December 2025, up from 30,000 in November and 26,000 in October.

Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that more than 33,000 Russian soldiers were killed in December. Ukrainian authorities claim that since the war began, about 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed or injured, while Ukraine has suffered 600,000 casualties, including 140,000 deaths. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported similar Russian losses but noted that Al Jazeera could not independently verify any figures.

The conflict remains at a stalemate, with Russia continuing efforts to seize new territories despite heavy losses.