Ukraine is rushing to strengthen short-range air defenses ahead of the expiration of a Moscow-declared pause in strikes on Feb. 1. Experts say the lull looks largely symbolic and risks bolstering Russia’s bargaining power rather than changing battlefield conditions. Ukrainian leaders warn that delays in Western funding left the country short of Patriot missiles, leaving civilians and critical infrastructure vulnerable as temperatures drop to about −26°C.
Ukraine Rushes to Reinforce Air Defenses as Moscow’s Strike Pause Nears End — Experts Call It Largely Symbolic
Firefighters work at the site of a private enterprise hit by an overnight Russian missile strike amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Jan. 30, 2026.(Reuters Photos)
Ukraine is urgently bolstering short-range air defenses as a Moscow-declared pause in strikes on Kyiv and other cities is set to expire on Feb. 1. Ukrainian officials and international analysts say the brief lull may do little to change battlefield realities and could even strengthen Russia’s negotiating leverage.
What Happened
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin agreed — at U.S. President Donald Trump’s request, according to statements — to pause strikes on Kyiv until Feb. 1 to create more favorable conditions for talks. Ukrainian leaders emphasized that the arrangement is not a formal ceasefire.
Icicles hang from balconies at an apartment building damaged by a drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Jan. 24, 2026.
Reinforcements and Civilian Risk
With temperatures in Kyiv forecast to plunge to about −26°C (−15°F), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a priority shift to reinforcing short-range air defenses to better counter drones and protect frontline cities in the south and northeast. He wrote on Telegram that cities such as Kherson and Nikopol and border communities in Sumy face ongoing threats from Russian drone attacks.
“Protection against Russian drones must be reinforced in our cities, such as Kherson and Nikopol, as well as in the border communities of the Sumy region, where the Russians have essentially set up an ongoing ‘safari’ against civilians,” Zelenskyy said.
Political Signals and Hardline Voices
Despite the pause, some Russian officials publicly urged escalation. Russian parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said deputies were pressing for more powerful “weapons of retribution,” and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov declared his opposition to negotiations, undercutting hopes the pause could lead to broader de-escalation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov at the Naval Base of the Black Sea Fleet Sept. 23, 2014, in Novorossiysk, Russia.
Expert Assessments
Military and diplomatic experts described the pause primarily as political signaling rather than a substantive change in combat operations. Retired Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital the halt appears designed to validate diplomatic engagement and showcase results—especially for leaders seeking to demonstrate leverage.
Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former senior State Department and U.S. Mission to the United Nations official, warned that a short pause does not equal a durable ceasefire. She noted that Russia’s limited commitment leaves Ukraine vulnerable and that Moscow’s “duplicity” makes a lasting truce unlikely unless Russia’s cost calculus changes.
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands at a news conference after a meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.
Funding Delays and Air-Defense Gaps
Zelenskyy and his aides have also pointed to delays in Western funding, including postponed payments under a weapons procurement program (reported as PURL in earlier accounts), which Ukraine says contributed to shortages of Patriot air-defense missiles ahead of recent strikes that disrupted power in parts of Kyiv. Officials warn that without sufficient air-defense interceptors, civilian infrastructure—and people—remain at heightened risk during the extreme cold.
Harward added that global demand for air-defense capabilities has surged, complicating procurement and delivery timelines as countries contend with the threats posed by both Russia and China.
What Comes Next
Both experts urged caution about reading too much into the pause. Harward argued that the temporary halt could bolster Russia’s negotiating position by signaling a willingness to act selectively in response to diplomatic pressure. Filipetti said diplomacy can produce unexpected results but stressed that tangible progress would require more than a short, unilateral pause.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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