Putin had agreed not to attack Kyiv and "various towns" during a cold snap. The Kremlin confirmed it had agreed to cease attacks on Kyiv until Sunday to "create favourable conditions" for peace talks. While the US president did not say when the pause would begin, air raid alerts sounded in just eight Ukrainian regions overnight into Friday, with two minor injuries recorded in Zaporizhzhia. Temperatures in the capital, Kyiv, are due to plummet to -24C (-11F) over the coming days. Russia has recently intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as it has during cold periods since its invasion began.

Ukrainian officials had been expecting a major attack this weekend ahead of the current cold spell - if that does not take place, it could mark a significant step in US-led efforts to bring the war to a close. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Putin had called a halt to strikes on Kyiv "for a week until 1 February" at the personal request of Trump. That date is just two days away. He made no mention of the cold weather and refused to be drawn on whether Russia would refrain from targeting energy infrastructure, instead portraying the agreement as an effort to facilitate US-mediated peace negotiations.

While the last few nights have been quiet for the capital, there have been 530 air raid alerts in Kyiv this week, according to one monitor. Ukraine's air force said more than 100 drones and a ballistic missile were fired at regions near the front line overnight. But, as of Friday morning, there have been no fresh attacks on electricity or heating infrastructure crucial for keeping people warm. (BBC)