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Another round of US-brokered peace talks will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva
Sam Kiley World Affairs Editor in Dnipro, Arpan Rai, Alex Croft & Maira ButtTuesday 17 February 2026 01:00 GMT- Bookmark
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Russia is planning to launch more “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of peace negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
The Ukrainian president said the attacks, revealed to him by intelligence reports, would make it more difficult to reach an agreement on ending the war.
“Russia cannot resist the temptation of the final days of winter cold and wants to strike Ukrainians painfully,” he said on Monday night. “Partners must understand this. First and foremost, this concerns the United States.”
Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington delegates are set to meet for a third round of talks, following meetings in Abu Dhabi last month.
It comes as Ukraine launched a huge overnight air attack on Russia, with Russian air defences forced to down 345 drones since Sunday morning.
The governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, said it suffered the “most powerful and massive attack” experienced by any Russian region during the war.
In its morning briefing, Peskov said the talks will cover the “main issues” preventing a peace deal, including territory.
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Key Points
- Russia to launch more strikes ahead of peace talks, says Zelensky
- Kremlin rejects accusations it poisoned Navalny with dart frog poison
- Ukraine launches 'most powerful and massive' attack on Russia's Bryansk region
- Russia downs 345 Ukrainian drones after heavy attack
- Ukraine's ex-energy minister arrested after he tries to leave country
Kremlin rejects accusations it poisoned Navalny with dart frog poison
The Kremlin has rejected accusations from five European countries that the Russian state had killed late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny two years ago using toxin from poison dart frogs.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claims were "not based on anything".
Navalny, who was Vladimir Putin's most prominent domestic critic, died in February 2024 aged 47 in a far-flung Arctic prison, a month before Putin was re-elected in a landslide vote which Western nations said was neither free nor fair.
In a joint statement on Saturday, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said that analyses of samples from Navalny's body had "conclusively" confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
Peskov said Moscow took a very negative view of the European allegations.
Maira Butt17 February 2026 01:00Hungary and Slovakia ask for Croatia's help to deliver Russian oil
Hungary and Slovakia have asked Croatia to help to deliver Russian oil, Hungary's foreign minister said on Monday, after disruption to flows via Ukraine.
A Russian attack on the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine on January 27 knocked out flows to Eastern Europe, Kyiv's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha posted a photo on X of firefighters and what he said was Druzhba pipeline infrastructure burning, adding that Hungary had not publicly commented on the incident because Russia was to blame.
Sybiha’s Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijarto rejected Kyiv's assertions, saying that Ukraine had not resumed oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline for political reasons.
"We request Croatia to enable the transport of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Adria pipeline, as our sanctions exemption provides the possibility to import Russian oil by sea if pipeline deliveries are disrupted," Mr Szijarto wrote on X.
"The security of a country's energy supply must never be an ideological issue. We therefore expect Croatia, unlike Ukraine, not to endanger the oil supply security of Hungary and Slovakia for political reasons."
Maira Butt17 February 2026 00:01Russia to launch more strikes ahead of peace talks, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is planning a fresh round of attacks on Ukraine’s energy targets ahead of peace negotiations beginning on Tuesday.
Zelensky said new strikes would make it more difficult to reach an agreement.
In his nightly video address, the Ukrainian president said: “Intelligence reports show that Russia is preparing further massive strikes against energy infrastructure so it is necessary to ensure that all air defence systems are properly configured.
“Russia cannot resist the temptation of the final days of winter cold and wants to strike Ukrainians painfully,” he said. “Partners must understand this. First and foremost, this concerns the United States.”
The Ukrainian delegation has departed for Geneva where the third round of US-brokered peace talks will be held.
Harriette Boucher16 February 2026 23:42Russia plans new round of strikes ahead of talks, says Zelensky says
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is planning a fresh round of attacks on Ukraine’s energy targets as peace negotiations are set to continue on Tuesday.
Zelensky said new strikes would make it more difficult to reach an agreement.
In his nightly video address, the Ukrainian president said: "Intelligence reports show that Russia is preparing further massive strikes against energy infrastructure so it is necessary to ensure that all air defence systems are properly configured.
"Russia cannot resist the temptation of the final days of winter cold and wants to strike Ukrainians painfully," he said. "Partners must understand this. First and foremost, this concerns the United States."
The Ukrainian delegation has departed for Geneva where the third round of US-brokered peace talks will be held.
Harriette Boucher16 February 2026 23:40In case you missed it: A critical point for Ukraine – and for Europe
Almost four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the situation on the ground and in the diplomatic arena has become critical. Our report from Kyiv graphically depicts the plight of so many residents in Ukraine’s capital city, who face nightly Russian air raids, targeting primarily civilian power supplies, in mid-winter. The intensity of the attacks, the damage sustained for want of sufficient air defence, and the winter temperatures have all been markedly worse than in previous years.
The human aspect, as ever, is the most poignant: nursery-age children who have learned to distinguish outgoing from incoming fire; a parliamentarian relieved that his family lacked the money to buy a flat in an adjacent high-rise that turned out to be more vulnerable than his ground-floor flat in an older building; no hot water, no heating or power, for all but two of 24 hours, all detrimental for wellbeing and morale. If this is what it is like living an MP’s relatively privileged life in Kyiv, the conditions for others, including those living further east, in the actual battle zone, must be many times worse.
A critical point for Ukraine – and for Europe
Editorial: With living conditions in war-afflicted Ukraine desperate, and diplomatic progress towards peace stalled, this week’s talks in Geneva will prove crucialMaira Butt16 February 2026 23:15Watch: Ukraine warns of renewed Russian exploitation as Kyiv pushes for security guarantees and new sanctions
Ukraine warns of renewed Russian exploitation as Kyiv pushes for security guarantees and new sanctionsMaira Butt16 February 2026 22:15In pictures: Aftermath of Russian strike on Ukraine
Firefighters work at the site of a railway infrastructure facility hit during overnight Russian drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Odesa, Ukraine on 15 February, 2026.
(via REUTERS)
(UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE/AFP)Maira Butt16 February 2026 21:15Zelensky holds 'truly important' meeting with US senators
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with two US senators ahead of ongoing trilateral peace talks. He thanked Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse after the pair met with Ukrainian children that had been returned from Russia.
“During a meeting with Senators Richard Blumenthal @SenBlumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse @SenWhitehouse, I thanked the United States for its strong bipartisan support and work for peace.
“Before our meeting, the senators met with children whom Ukraine managed to return from Russia. Thank you, this is truly important.
“We see no better tools to influence Moscow than pressure. There is an important sanctioning act in the Senate right now, and we expect it to work.”
He added: “I also informed them about the constant Russian strikes on our people and, in particular, on American businesses as well. I
“t is absolutely fair that Russian money should be used to defend against this terror, and we discussed the prospects of utilizing immobilized Russian assets to purchase missiles for the Patriot systems. I thank the President, Congress, and the people of the United States for their support.”
(X/Zelensky)Maira Butt16 February 2026 20:15Watch: Sumy emergency services tackle fires as Russia hits residential building
Sumy emergency services tackle fires as Russia hits residential buildingAlex Croft16 February 2026 19:45Poison, a plane crash and falling from a window: How Putin’s critics and rivals have met mysterious ends
he late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin during his detention in a harsh Arctic penal colony two years ago, the UK and its European allies have concluded.
Analysis of samples conclusively confirmed the presence of Epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not naturally found in Russia, according to a joint statement issued on Saturday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said all the available evidence pointed to Moscow, which insists it had no role in the opposition leader’s sudden demise in February 2024.
Poison, plane crash and prison: How Putin’s critics have met mysterious ends
Alexei Navalny is latest in long line of Vladimir Putin’s critics who have died in recent years. James C. Reynolds, Gustaf Kilander and Alexander Butler reportMaira Butt16 February 2026 19:15Newer1 / 8OlderMore about
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