A RUSSIAN drone blitz on Odesa left thousands of people without power – hours after Moscow lied that it never hit civilian targets.
Russia’s Foreign Minister put two fingers up to America by rejecting White House demands for a halt on power station strikes.
Shameless Sergei Lavrov claimed Russia “never endangered Ukraine’s energy system”.
Hours later a major drone and missile blitz hammered Ukraine’s second city, injuring four people and leaving hundreds of homes without power.
Lavrov, 74, sparked fury by telling US negotiators, “Russia has never endangered Ukraine’s energy supply system.
He was speaking after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in landmark peace talks in Saudi Arabia.
The only request known from the US during the historic discussions in Riyadh was to halt the attacks on power stations.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Lavrov, revealed during an interview with RIA Novosti news agency that the US suggested a temporary suspension of attacks on energy facilities, while Russia clarified that it does not target civilian infrastructure.
Hours later Russian missiles blasted Ukraine’s second city Odesa.
Following the intense bombardment on the power stations, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported that four individuals sustained injuries, and more than 500 households were left without access to power, heating, and water during the sub-zero temperatures, dropping as low as minus 7 degrees Celsius.
Separate reports said the blackouts affected tens of thousands of homes.
Governor Kiper said: “Russian terrorists massively attacked Odessa and the region with strike drones.”
He added: “Due to the Russian attack, local emergency power outages are in effect in part of the Odessa region.
“Critical infrastructure is operating using generators. In the Kyiv district of Odessa, heat supply to some consumers has been suspended.”
A UK defence source slammed Lavrov’s comments as: “More nonsense from a regime which has consistently lied about the atrocities they’ve inflicted on innocent Ukrainians.”
General the Lord Richard Dannatt, a former Chief of the General Staff, said: “It proves you cannot trust Russia.
“Anybody who thinks they can is deluding themselves.”
Lavrov admitted in 2022 it was Russia’s goal to “knock out energy facilities”.
He justified the strikes by claiming the power plants supported “the combat capability of the Ukrainian armed forces”.
Almost three years later Ukraine has lost a third of its power supply, sources said.
In Jan 2025, Russia fired a staggering 2,400 drones at Ukraine last month which “primarily targeted energy infrastructure,” according the UK defence intelligence.
And in the six months to August, Russia blitzed at least 36 power stations and over 100 power distribution and transmission facilities, according to UN monitors.
Last autumn Russia shifted its targets from “high-voltage substations to regional distribution substations,” UK officials alleged.
Rolling blackouts are now the norm on every area of Ukraine.
Lavrov also rejected suggestions that Britain, Europe or Nato nations could deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
According to Russian state media, “the Russian delegation explained to the American interlocutors that the appearance of Nato troops in Ukraine is unacceptable”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had said he was willing to put UK boots on the ground to guarantee an enduring peace.
But he demanded a US “backstop”.
Defence Secretary John Healey said only American might could stop Putin invading Ukraine again.
Healey said: “In the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
He added: “We need a security guarantee for Ukraine, in Ukraine, that is capable of delivering what President Trump has says he wants, which is a durable peace.
“That requires an end to the Russian attack and no repeat of that in the future.
“The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee.
“But it will require a backstop from the US, because in the end it is only the US that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
Donald Trump blind-sided allies including Ukraine by cutting them out of the peace talks.
And he has parroted Putin’s lies by claiming Ukraine started the war and that Zelensky’s approval rating is only 4 per cent.
Survey’s suggest Zelensky is more popular in Ukraine than Donald Trump is in America.
Zelensky vowed Kyiv would never accept a US or Russian ultimatum.
He said: “It seems like Russia and the US are preparing an ultimatum to Ukraine, talking about Ukraine without Ukraine.
“We didn’t accept ultimatums in 2022, when the situation was much more serious and nobody was helping us, and I have no intention of accepting any ultimatums now.”
The US said they had agreed to appoint “high level” negotiating teams to take the process further yesterday.
In a statement the US State Department said: “President Trump wants to stop the killing; the United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together.
“President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that.”
But they warned: “One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace.
“We must take action, and today we took an important step forward.”
