A Russian large-scale bombing campaign targeting Ukrainian energy facilities coincided with the opening of a third round of U.S.-mediated cease-fire talks in Geneva on Monday, according to reports from Kyiv and international news agencies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported via social media that the attacks involved 29 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and approximately 400 drones. He stated that nine people were injured and more than ten apartments and infrastructure objects were damaged. The attacks spanned 12 regions, including the southern Odesa region, according to reports cited by Reuters and the Associated Press.
In response, Ukraine launched a counterattack targeting oil product storage facilities in Russia’s Krasnodar region, aiming to disrupt what Kyiv views as Moscow’s war funding sources. Ukrainian officials have consistently focused on striking oil facilities and a “shadow fleet” of vessels transporting Russian oil, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
The Geneva talks, involving representatives from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, commenced amid this escalation. U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to act quickly in negotiations, stating, “We have a big meeting coming up and it’s going to be very effortless, but Ukraine needs to come to the negotiating table fast, and that’s what I’ll say,” as reported by Voice of America.
Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, indicated on social media that the agenda included security and humanitarian issues, and expressed gratitude for the consistent efforts of the U.S. Side in the negotiation process. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, stated that no announcements were expected on Monday, but that the talks would continue on Tuesday, covering territorial issues and other concerns raised by Russia.
This round of negotiations follows two previous meetings in Abu Dhabi, where both sides acknowledged some progress but failed to reach a peace agreement. The BBC reported that the first round of talks, held in January, concluded with Russia continuing its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, resulting in one death and 35 injuries.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticized Russia’s timing of the large-scale attacks, stating they demonstrated a disregard for peace efforts, according to Yonhap News Agency. The attacks occurred almost daily against Ukrainian energy infrastructure even after the start of the three-party cease-fire negotiations last month.
The U.S. State Department has not released a statement regarding the status of the talks as of Tuesday morning. A second round of talks is tentatively scheduled to begin March 1st, according to a U.S. Official cited by the BBC.
