Russia Restarts Major Missile Strikes on Ukraine (Full Transcript)
[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Well, this was a major attack. It's very rare to see more than 70 missiles fired in one night. And the point here is that this effectively dashes any hopes of real progress in peace talks. It was just over a week ago that the US, Ukraine, and Russia held their first trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. That was the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin then said that Putin had agreed to pause attacking major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure until Sunday after a personal request from US President Donald Trump. That came to an abrupt end Monday night. Russia once again attacking Ukrainian cities and energy facilities, plunging yet more Ukrainians into cold and darkness. This made worse by temperatures reaching as low as minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit in Kiev. The Russian strategy here is clear, to dial up the pressure on Ukraine ahead of peace talks. I think the question now for Ukrainians is, will the US be willing to dial up the pressure on Russia?
- Russia launched an unusually large missile attack, signaling escalation.
- The strikes likely undermine momentum from recent trilateral peace discussions.
- A purported temporary pause on attacks ended abruptly, with energy sites hit again.
- Targeting infrastructure increases civilian hardship, especially during severe winter cold.
- The attacks appear intended to pressure Ukraine ahead of negotiations.
- Attention shifts to whether the U.S. will apply greater pressure on Russia.