Extract from ABC News
At least seven people were killed in the latest attacks in Donetsk. (AP: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)
In short:
At least seven people were killed and eight more injured after a Russian cluster munitions attack in Donestk, Ukraine.
Moscow also launched 105 drones against Ukraine overnight, with strikes reported at 14 locations across the country.
What's next?
Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv are in Abu Dhabi for another round of US-brokered talks on ending the almost four-year war.
At least seven people were killed and eight more hurt in Russian attacks in the town of Druzhkivka in the Ukraine-controlled frontline region of Donetsk in the east, the regional governor said.
Russia shelled the town with cluster munitions, targeting the market, and dropped two aerial bombs, Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram messaging app.
The attacks come as envoys from Moscow and Kyiv met in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday local time for another round of US-brokered talks on ending the almost four-year war.
Donetsk regional military administration chief Vadym Filashkin said the attack on the town of Druzhkivka darkened prospects for progress in the UAE, describing Russian talk of a ceasefire as "worthless."
Russia also launched 105 drones against Ukraine overnight, and air defences shot down 88 of them, the Ukrainian air force said.
Strikes by 17 drones were recorded at 14 locations, as well as falling debris at five sites, it said.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian strike on a residential area killed a 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, regional military administration head Oleksandr Hancha said.
Firefighters work next to cars destroyed by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer (Reuters: Stringer)
The southern city of Odesa also came under a large-scale attack, regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said.
About 20 residential buildings were damaged, with four people rescued from under the rubble, he said.
Another round of US-brokered talks
The delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were joined in the United Arab Emirates by US officials, Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council chief said on social media.
Mr Umerov said the planned two-day negotiations in Abu Dhabi started with all three delegations present, after which negotiators were to break into groups according to topics and then meet as a full group again at the end.
The last talks in Abu Dhabi were unsuccessful. (Reuters: Hamad Al Kaabi/UAE Presidential Court/Handout)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov wouldn't offer any details on the Abu Dhabi talks and said that Moscow wasn't planning any comment on their results.
He said that "the doors for a peaceful settlement are open," but noted that Moscow will press its military action until Kyiv meets its demands.
The American team was due to include special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who also attended last month's meeting, according to the White House.
The current talks also coincide with the expiry of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States on Thursday.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin could extend the terms of the treaty or renegotiate its conditions in an effort to prevent a new nuclear arms race.
Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin had agreed to stop attacks for one week. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
Last month's discussions in the Emirati capital, part of a US push to end the fighting, yielded some progress but no breakthrough on key issues, officials said.
Energy infrastructure targeted
The Abu Dhabi talks were held amid Ukrainian outrage over major Russian attacks on its energy system.
A huge Russian bombardment overnight from Monday to Tuesday included hundreds of drones and a record 32 ballistic missiles.
This came despite Ukraine's understanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told Trump he would temporarily halt strikes on Ukraine's power grid.
Russia is hitting Ukraine's energy facilities because its armed forces believe the targets are associated with Kyiv's military effort, Mr Peskov said.
There has been a lack of clarity about how long Mr Putin had promised to observe a pause on power grid attacks.
Mr Trump said Russia's leader had agreed to halt strikes for a week, through February 1, and that Mr Putin had kept his word.
But Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "barely four days have passed of the week Russia was asked to hold off," before Ukraine was hit with fresh attacks.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump was "unfortunately unsurprised" by Moscow's resumption of attacks.
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