Kiev, Moscow, and Washington discuss the end of the war in Switzerland after new massive Russian strikes in Ukraine

In Geneva, new talks have begun between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, following airstrikes that targeted 12 Ukrainian regions.

Published on 17/02/2026 at 17:25

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President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the “Russian contempt for peace efforts” on Tuesday, February 17, as new talks are underway in Geneva (Switzerland) to end four years of war in Ukraine. The discussions began in the early afternoon between Moscow, Kiev, and Washington, following the failure of the recent negotiations in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) on February 6.

Ukraine was hit overnight by massive Russian strikes on energy sites, firing 396 drones and 29 missiles during the night, 367 and 25 of which were respectively intercepted, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. “It was a calculated combined strike intended to cause as much damage as possible to our energy sector,” denounced the Ukrainian president.

Twelve regions were targeted in this attack overnight, resulting in nine injured and “tens of thousands of people” left without water or heating in Odessa, a major port in southern Ukraine. A Russian drone strike also killed three employees at a power plant in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine, authorities announced. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted over 150 Ukrainian drones overnight, mainly targeting the Black Sea region, Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

To pressure Kiev amidst negotiations mediated by the United States, Russia has been intensifying devastating strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure for weeks, causing electricity, water, and heating outages in the peak of winter.