Russian forces launched huge missile and drone strikes on numerous targets inside Ukraine over Feb. 2-3, signalling that the moratorium on such strikes, which they had announced last week, had ended.
Even before this latest major barrage, the situation in Kiev is dire. On Monday morning, Feb. 2, Ukrenergo, the state electricity transmission company, announced that there would henceforth be emergency power outages, not “scheduled” outages, under the deteriorated conditions of the system serving Kiev and other locations. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that as of last month, already 600,000 people exited the city to escape the heating failures, power cuts and subzero temperatures. This is a huge drop from the Kiev population of around 3.6 million in late 2025.
Ukrainian Acting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded by calling for a stream of outside visitors, and issuing crazed denunciations of Russia, for making warfare hurtful. On Feb. 3, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte showed up for a “surprise” visit. On Feb. 2 OSCE officials made a visit. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he may come to Kiev “in the next few days.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will come this month to show solidarity with Ukraine, at the time of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. On Feb. 2 in New York, the U.K. envoy to the UN Security Council said Britain will use its rotating February UNSC presidency to hold a special session to denounce Russia later this month.
