Russia attacks Ukraine with almost 400 drones and 29 missiles hours before the start of peace negotiations

According to information from the Ukrainian Air ForceRussia has used cruise missiles targeting regions throughout Ukraine. The objectives achieved included energy infrastructure and residential buildings. The official number of victims has not been reported.

The Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski denounced the Russian attack as a “massive attack” intended to cause maximum possible harm to the people, highlighting its brutality in the context of the peace negotiations in Geneva.

In his usual message on Telegram, the Ukrainian president emphasized that air defenses shot down 367 drones and most of the missiles, but he regretted impacts in 13 points in the country, including civil and energy infrastructure.

Zelensky had already warned this Monday that, according to Intelligence reports, Russia was preparing a “massive attack” against the country’s energy infrastructure, in the midst of peace talks that begin this Tuesday in the Swiss city of Geneva.

“This says a lot about Russia’s view of its partners’ diplomatic efforts. Every Russian missile is the aggressor’s response to its calls to end the war,” Zelensky declared. He also stressed the need to continue putting pressure on Russia and offer Ukraine “clear security guarantees.”

In parallel, Russian forces destroyed more than 150 Ukrainian drones that were trying to carry out an attack during the night in the Black Sea region, the Moscow Defense Ministry.

“During the night of February 17, air defense systems destroyed and intercepted 151 aerial drones,” including 38 over Crimea, 50 over the Black Sea and 29 over the neighboring Sea of ​​Azov, the ministry said, cited by Russian agencies.

“It was one of the longest recent attacks,” he said. Mikhail Razvozhaievgovernor of Sevastopol, a major port on the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.

These attacks occur when the third round of trilateral contacts that opened this year to seek a negotiated solution to the war is about to begin. It is not the first time that the Russian army has unleashed attacks of this type during peace negotiations with Ukraine.