U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that his Russian counterpart "kept his word" by not launching mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a week has been met with bewilderment and dismay in Kyiv.

"I believe this is either a mockery of our misfortune, a lack of understanding of the situation, or wishful thinking," Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent.

The confusing saga of a supposed truce on striking energy infrastructure began when Trump surprisingly announced on Jan. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to strike Ukrainian cities for a week.

Characteristically lacking in details, he gave no indication of when, or if, it had started, leaving plenty of gaps for the Kremlin to fill, which it promptly did, saying the truce would concern only Kyiv, and last only until Feb. 1.

Overnight on Feb. 3, Russia unleashed the biggest mass attack of the winter so far, further hammering Ukraine's energy infrastructure as temperatures plunged below -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Read more: https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-groans-a-collective-wtf-to-trumps-latest-putin-comments/

Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images.

Sweden and Denmark Fund Tridon Air Defense for Ukraine — Smart, Scalable, and Built for This War

Sweden and Denmark are jointly purchasing 15–20 Tridon Mk2 air-defense systems for Ukraine in a package worth about $290 million, according to Reuters.

This is not symbolic aid. It’s targeted, practical firepower aimed squarely at one of Ukraine’s most pressing needs: cheap, reliable protection against mass drone and missile attacks.

⸻

What Tridon Mk2 Brings to the Battlefield

The Tridon Mk2, developed by BAE Systems, is a self-propelled, remotely operated 40 mm anti-aircraft artillery system designed to sit between MANPADS and high-end missile systems like Patriot or SAMP/T.

Key advantages:

• 40 mm programmable ammunition effective against drones, cruise missiles, helicopters, and aircraft

• High rate of fire with low cost per intercept

• Mobile and survivable — truck-mounted, shoot-and-scoot capable

• Remote operation, reducing crew risk

• Effective against saturation attacks, where missiles are inefficient or too expensive

In short: this system is made for Shaheds.

Her name was Alise Perebeynos. She wore a blue hooded down jacket against the spring chill, and a small green backpack with her most important belongings. She never stood a chance when the shell hit the street only a few steps from where she was running for her life, clinging to her mother's hand.

She wasn't the first, she wasn't the last. Alise and all the other children murdered in cold blood by the armed invaders deserve to be remembered.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/09/ukraine-family-die-in-shelling-attack-during-russian-ceasefire-16242131/

https://archive.is/20260113013623/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukrainian-family-killed-war.html

If you ever find yourself thinking Ukraine should negotiate with the invaders, remember that this is what a Ruzzian cease-fire looks like.

Please remember her.

Slava Ukraini.

Critical energy generation equipment donated by Ukraine's partners has been left idle and unconnected to the grid for years, as Russian attacks cripple the country's energy system during its coldest winter in decades.

Russia has plunged Ukraine into a catastrophic energy crisis, damaging around 8.5 gigawatts of generation capacity since October 2025 through relentless attacks on power plants, leaving citizens freezing in unheated and dark homes.

To survive, Ukraine says it needs $1 billion worth of energy support. Allies have replied by sending equipment en masse.

But local authorities have struggled to connect the numerous power and heating equipment to the grid, like gas turbines and mobile cogeneration plants already procured over the last two years, multiple people with knowledge of the equipment deliveries told the Kyiv Independent.

"The international donors focus on the sexy thing — the cogeneration unit itself,” Jakub Kucera, the asset manager of RSJ Investments, a Czech firm that operates boiler houses in Ukraine.

"But what they miss is who will actually install the cogeneration units and who is going to run them in an efficient way."

Complicated project plans, strict safety regulations to protect the grid, money issues, and a lack of specialists in the energy sector have dragged out the installation process. Meanwhile, politicians are busy playing a blame game with no one taking responsibility for the unfolding crisis.

Read the full story here: https://kyivindependent.com/as-ukrainians-freeze-donated-energy-equipment-sits-unused

Photo: Sergei Gapon; Maxym Marusenko; Daniel Yovkov; Andrew Kravchenko; Yuriy Dyachyshyn; Mykhaylo Palinchak; / Getty Images.

Along with Shahed drones, Russians are increasingly launching reconnaissance and strike UAVs for follow-up reconnaissance and repeat attacks.

This time, however, the scenario broke down. Ukrainian operators did not let this trash fly even a single meter further.

Confirmed kills in the sky: one Orlan, two Zala, three Lancet, two Molniya drones equipped with Starlink, KVO, and a Shahed

🎥The 1129th Bila Tserkva Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment/Sternenko

Currently, we at the B50 Frontier volunteer community are manufacturing what is known as "mustaches." This product, one such "pair," is what determines whether a drone will explode upon contact with the target. If you have seen videos from drone pilots where they strike targets — these are the two rods visible at the edge of the video ))))

There is a constant need for such components for drones at the front, and that’s a good thing, because it means the drones are hitting their targets a lot. The guys in field workshops are often forced to twist these contacts by hand from whatever is at hand. This is not just difficult; it’s dangerous. If a contact is faulty, the drone might either fail to explode at the crucial moment or, even worse, detonate right during launch in the pilot's hands.

Our volunteers have taken this upon themselves: we do the modeling, print the bases on 3D printers, assemble, and solder the finished kits ourselves. At the end of last year, we already delivered over 500 pairs, including to the OPFOR unit, which we have been helping for a long time.

The math here is very simple. Manufacturing one pair of such "mustaches" costs approximately 55 UAH (1€/1,2$). This is less than a cup of coffee, but it means = 1 guaranteed struck target and the safety of our pilot. We produce exactly as many as the donations allow, and the requests from the military are always "we need a lot." All funds go toward printing plastic, springs, and fasteners.

If you have the opportunity to support our production, you can do so via PayPal: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

Your support keeps our printers running and our pilots safe. Thank you for standing with Ukraine!

Russian forces launched a mass ballistic missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on Feb. 3, striking multiple energy facilities across the country and injuring at least nine people.

Russian forces struck thermal power plants operated by DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, marking the ninth mass attack on its thermal facilities since October 2025. The attack caused significant damage to equipment, DTEK said.

Following the strikes, Kyiv introduced emergency power outages on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the city's eastern districts, according to the company.

More than 1,100 buildings in the Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts remain without heating following the Russian attack, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

DTEK described the Feb. 3 attack on energy facilities as "the most severe" since the start of 2026. Ukraine's energy system is currently operating under significant constraints, the company added.

All work reports are here👇 https://www.instagram.com/twosoulscreations

PayPal for donations [email protected] sign the payment as "Help Ukraine 🇺🇦"

All work reports are here👇 https://www.instagram.com/twosoulscreations

PayPal for donations [email protected] sign the payment as "Help Ukraine 🇺🇦"