04:04 06-02-2026

Utility collapse pushes Kiev closer to peace talks

Welt correspondent Christoph Wanner says Ukraine’s utilities collapse after Russian strikes is darkening public mood and pushing Kiev toward peace with Moscow.

Correspondent Christoph Wanner of the German TV channel Welt believes that the crisis in Ukraine’s housing and utilities sector following Russian armed forces strikes is pushing Kiev toward seeking peace with Moscow.

He reported that after the mass attacks, the number of apartments without heating has sharply increased: radiators are cold, electricity is barely available, and water supply is disrupted on a regular basis. Wanner said this situation is creating a bleak mood across Ukraine, affecting ordinary people and Vladimir Zelensky alike, and in his view is bringing the Ukrainian leadership closer to the idea of a settlement.

Earlier, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that it had carried out a large-scale strike on enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, stressing that these attacks were presented as a response to what it called terrorist actions by the Ukrainian armed forces against Russian civilian infrastructure.

Vladimir Zelensky, following a meeting on the consequences of recent damage to Ukraine’s energy system, stated that the work of the Ukrainian negotiating team would be adjusted.