As Ukraine approached the solemn fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the nation was once again subjected to a relentless wave of aerial assaults. Sunday saw Russia unleash hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine’s power grid, resulting in at least one fatality in Kyiv, the capital, even as negotiators for both countries prepared for another round of peace talks in the coming days.
Tragically, the western city of Lviv also experienced deadly explosions, claiming the life of a police officer. While the exact orchestrator of these attacks remains unclear, their timing underscores the ongoing volatility.
These recent strikes cast a shadow over the latest U.S.-mediated negotiations in Geneva, which concluded with minimal tangible progress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that the next round of discussions is anticipated by early March. Speaking on Saturday, Mr. Zelensky expressed his belief that American negotiators in Geneva had recognized Russia as the primary obstacle to achieving any genuinely meaningful outcomes.
Hours after the President’s remarks, Russian forces intensified their infrastructure attacks across Kyiv and parts of central and southwestern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 33 of 50 Russian missiles and an astonishing 274 of 297 Russian drones. Beyond the casualty in Kyiv, 15 individuals, including four children, were injured, as confirmed by the Kyiv Regional Military Administration.
These brutal assaults on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure have been a hallmark of this winter, which has been the coldest in over a decade. Ukrainians have often been forced to cope with only a few hours of power and heat daily. The full extent of the damage from Sunday’s attacks on the national power grid is still being assessed, though technicians continually work to repair the ongoing destruction from previous bombardments.
Regarding the Lviv explosions, Russian responsibility has not been confirmed, and Ukrainian authorities reported the arrest of a woman in connection with these incidents on Sunday morning. The Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office detailed that the first explosion occurred around 12:30 a.m. after police responded to a reported break-in at a local business complex, a time well past curfew. Videos depicted flashing police car lights at a major intersection, followed by a shouted plea for a tourniquet. A second blast then rocked the area near a business school. This second explosion tragically killed a 23-year-old policewoman, damaged a patrol car and a civilian vehicle, shattered windows of nearby shops, and injured at least 24 people.
Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv, publicly labeled the incident a “terrorist act,” although he did not provide immediate evidence. This comes amidst repeated accusations by Ukrainian authorities that Russian intelligence agents have been recruiting Ukrainians online for years, offering payment to plant makeshift bombs in public spaces like railway stations or military recruitment centers.