US Pushes for June Peace Deadline as Russia Targets Ukraine’s Energy Grid

Zelensky recently stated that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022.

RMN News Political Desk
New Delhi | February 7, 2026

KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the United States is aiming for an end to the war by June, even as Ukraine reels from a massive wave of Russian strikes targeting its power infrastructure during the peak of winter.

Diplomatic Push in Miami

Zelensky confirmed that the U.S. has invited both Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams to meet in the United States next week, likely in Miami. This follows a second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded last Friday without a breakthrough.

While the U.S. has expressed a desire to reach an agreement by June due to domestic issues, Zelensky noted that “difficult issues remained difficult,” particularly regarding the pressure on Ukraine to make territorial concessions. For the first time, however, parties discussed the potential for a trilateral meeting between leaders, though Zelensky cautioned that significant preparation is required.

Energy Grid Under “Powerful Blow”

As diplomacy continues, the reality on the ground remains dire. On Friday night, Russia launched an assault involving more than 400 drones and 40 missiles, targeting the energy grid, generation facilities, and distribution substations across the country. Ukraine’s energy operator, Ukrenergo, reported a significant increase in the power deficit, and emergency power supplies were requested from Poland.

The strikes have caused widespread blackouts in freezing conditions:

• Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk: The Dobrotvir and Burshtyn power plants were struck, leaving thousands without electricity.
• Rivne: One person was reported dead, and an apartment building was damaged.
• Kyiv: Residents have returned to sleeping in metro stations to escape the strikes.

DTEK, the company running several of the targeted plants, described the attack as “the most powerful blow” to infrastructure so far this year. This marks the 10th massive attack on DTEK plants since October 2025, with their facilities being targeted over 220 times since the full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago.

Leveraging the Cold

Zelensky has called on international partners to provide more Patriot and NASAMS missiles, stating that Moscow must be “deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine”. Russia resumed these attacks on Monday following a week-long pause that U.S. President Donald Trump had reportedly asked Vladimir Putin to observe due to the extreme cold.

The negotiation process is further complicated by recent violence within Russia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kyiv of being behind the shooting of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev in Moscow, claiming the act was intended to disrupt the peace process.

The Human Cost

The scale of the conflict continues to grow. Zelensky recently stated that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the invasion began in February 2022. Meanwhile, the BBC has confirmed the names of nearly 160,000 individuals killed fighting on the Russian side.