US accuses Russia of ‘dangerous and inexplicable escalation’in Ukraine war during peace negotiations

The United States accused Russia on Monday of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of the war in Ukraine after Moscow launched new attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, despite ongoing U.S.-led negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

U.S.Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Tammy Bruce said at an emergencyU.N.Security Councilsession in New York that Russia’s actions risk expanding and intensifying the war, as the United States continues to work with Ukraine, Europe and Russia to reach a negotiated peace.

Bruce condemned Russia for its repeated missile and drone strikes onUkraine’s energy facilities, including the launch of its nuclear-capable “Oreshnik” ballistic missile that targeted an area of Ukraine near the border with Poland and NATO.

Read More → Researchers locked flu patients in a hotel with healthy adults — no one got sick

“These attacks make a mockery of the cause of peace, a cause of paramount importance to the world and to President Trump,” said Bruce.

Read More → US forces attempting to board sanctioned Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic, sources say

‘ONLY TRUMP CAN STOP RUSSIA’: MILLIONS FACE FREEZING WINTER, UKRAINE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WARNS

A resident looks through a broken window of his apartment damaged during Russian drone strikes in Odesa, Ukraine, on Jan.13, 2026.(Nina Liashonok/Reuters)

“I would like to remind the Russian Federation of its vote in favor of Security Council Resolution 2774, nearly one year ago.That resolution called for a swift end to the conflict and lasting peace,” she added.“It would be nice if Russia matched their words with deeds.”

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Monday that 2025 marked the deadliest year for civilians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

In its December report, the HRMMU said at least 2,514 civilians were killed and more than 12,000 injured in Ukraine in 2025, a sharp increase over the previous two years.

RUSSIA ALLEGES ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE AS UKRAINE DENIES CLAIM AHEAD OF TRUMP TALKS

Read More → Vikings star arrested at Florida casino on trespassing charge

A firefighter extinguishes a blaze inside a destroyed building after a Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan.12, 2026.(Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Long-range missile and drone strikes by Russian forces accounted for a significant share of the casualties, often hitting urban areas far from the front lines, the report said.

Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyysaid on Tuesday that Russia launched nearly 300 attack drones, 18 ballistic and 7 cruise missiles at Ukraine, targeting the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.

He said four people were killed in Kharkiv after a missile struck a postal terminal.

Firefighters work at the site of a logistics hub belonging to a private delivery company after it was hit by Russian missile strikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Jan.13, 2026.(Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters)

Read More → Top federal Minnesota prosecutors officially terminated after dispute over ICE shooting probe

The Ukrainian president wrote on social media that Kyiv is continuing intensive talkswith its U.S.and European partners, including the preparation of documents on U.S.security guarantees and plans for reconstruction.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

Russia’s U.N.Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council that his country has never turned away from dialogue.

Nebenzia said that until Zelenskyy “comes to his senses and agrees to realistic conditions for negotiations, we’ll continue solving the problems by military means.”