BY Rosemary
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday that Ukrainian intelligence services have detected preparations for additional large-scale Russian attacks targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, warning that such strikes further complicate already fragile efforts to negotiate an end to the nearly four-year war.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said intelligence assessments indicated that Moscow was preparing “further massive strikes” against critical power facilities and urged heightened readiness across Ukraine’s air defense network.
“Intelligence reports show that Russia is preparing further massive strikes against energy infrastructure, so it is necessary to ensure that all air defense systems are properly configured,” he said, stressing that the anticipated attacks would likely combine drones and missiles in evolving patterns designed to overwhelm defenses.
The warning came as Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations prepared to convene in the Swiss city of Geneva for a third round of U.S.-brokered negotiations aimed at addressing the most contentious aspects of the conflict, including the status of Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces.
Zelenskiy described Russia’s strike tactics as constantly shifting, with new combinations of weapons and timing intended to exploit vulnerabilities, particularly during the final weeks of winter when freezing temperatures heighten the humanitarian consequences of power outages.
“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.”
Repeated Russian assaults on Ukraine’s energy grid have been a defining feature of the conflict, particularly during colder months, when attacks on thermal plants, substations and transmission lines have left millions without electricity, heating or water. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure to erode morale and strain the country’s resilience.
Russian authorities did not immediately comment on Zelenskiy’s latest claims.
The diplomatic talks in Geneva represent the first time negotiators are expected to focus squarely on the most sensitive question of the war: the fate of territories seized and annexed by Russia since its full-scale invasion began. The issue has long been viewed as the central obstacle to any comprehensive settlement.
Ukraine’s delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, who said his team had already arrived in Geneva and was preparing for what he described as constructive discussions centered on security and humanitarian matters. In a message posted on Telegram, Umerov said the delegation looked forward to “substantive meetings” as negotiations entered a more decisive phase.
On the Russian side, the Kremlin confirmed that the delegation would be headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who has previously taken part in talks with Kyiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the upcoming round would broaden the agenda significantly.
“This time, the idea is to discuss a broader range of issues, including, in fact, the main ones,” Peskov told reporters. “The main issues concern both the territories and everything else related to the demands we have put forward.”
Moscow has consistently demanded that Ukraine relinquish claims to the entirety of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, as well as recognize other territories currently under Russian control. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected those demands, insisting that its territorial integrity is non-negotiable under international law.
The latest diplomatic effort follows two earlier rounds of U.S.-supported talks held in the United Arab Emirates, which yielded a limited prisoner exchange but failed to produce meaningful progress toward a ceasefire or political agreement.
As negotiations shift to the question of territorial control, the stakes have risen sharply. Analysts say that any discussion of borders, sovereignty and security guarantees will test the willingness of both sides to compromise after years of entrenched fighting and mounting casualties.
For now, as diplomats prepare to engage in Geneva, Ukraine remains on alert for renewed strikes against its energy system — a reminder that even as talks continue, the conflict shows no immediate signs of abating on the battlefield.
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