Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early Saturday, triggering explosions across Kyiv and cutting electricity to about 1.2 million properties nationwide, Ukrainian officials said.
The attack plunged large parts of the country into darkness and cold, with temperatures hovering near –10°C (14°F) in the capital, worsening conditions for civilians already battered by weeks of power disruptions.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 375 drones and 21 missiles, including two Tsirkon ballistic missiles — a weapon rarely deployed in the conflict — in one of the largest coordinated aerial assaults this winter.
The bombardment comes as U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine continued for a second day in the United Arab Emirates, with no breakthrough reported on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said more than 800,000 homes in Kyiv and another 400,000 in the northern Chernihiv region were left without electricity following the strikes.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said one person was killed in the capital and four others were injured, including three hospitalized.
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Nearly 6,000 buildings in Kyiv were also left without heating, compounding hardships for residents after previous strikes disrupted the city’s centralized heat distribution network.
“The situation is difficult,” Klitschko said, noting that many buildings had only recently had heat restored from earlier attacks.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said at least 19 people, including a child, were wounded.
Writing on Telegram, Terekhov said 25 drones struck multiple districts, damaging a dormitory housing displaced civilians and two medical facilities, including a maternity hospital.
Throughout the night, Kyiv’s skyline lit up with flashes of orange as air defenses intercepted incoming drones and missiles. Loud explosions echoed across the city’s high-rise neighborhoods.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, reported damage in at least four districts, including to a medical facility.
Emergency crews were still restoring electricity and heating Saturday morning, while officials warned that repairs could take time amid continued attacks.
Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s power system since its full-scale invasion in 2022, with energy infrastructure becoming a primary battlefield aimed at weakening civilian morale and military logistics.
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This winter has seen the heaviest sustained campaign yet against energy facilities, leaving many Ukrainians with only a few hours of power daily and, in some areas, no heating or water at all.
Earlier this year, Kyiv endured two major overnight assaults that knocked out power and heat to hundreds of residential buildings — repairs from which were still underway before Saturday’s strike.