Week-long pause in energy strikes began last night – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia has almost entirely refrained from attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the start of 30 January.

Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address

Quote: "The US spoke about a week-long pause in strikes on energy facilities, and tonight the countdown began.

The day started with reports from the regions: in all our oblasts, there have indeed been no strikes on energy facilities since Friday night. Almost none. Except in Donetsk Oblast, where there was one strike on gas infrastructure, a strike by aerial bombs."

Details: However, Zelenskyy pointed out that Russia is redirecting its strikes towards logistics and railway junctions. "In particular, a carriage belonging to [state-run railway operator] Ukrzaliznytsia, a special power-generation carriage, was hit in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast this morning," he noted.

The president also emphasised that whether the "energy truce" holds depends on the United States.

"Ukraine is willing to mirror restraint, and today we did not strike Russian energy facilities," Zelenskyy said.

Background:

• On 29 January, US President Donald Trump said he had personally asked Russian leader Vladimir Putin to stop attacks on Ukraine for a week due to the freezing cold weather.
• On 30 January, Zelenskyy emphasised that there are no direct agreements between Kyiv and Moscow on a pause in Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy sector, although discussions on the issue are ongoing, particularly in Abu Dhabi. He also stressed that Ukraine will respond in kind to Russia's actions.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Trump personally asked Putin to refrain from strikes on Kyiv until 1 February due to the severe cold that is forecast in Ukraine.

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