Russia Launches Massive Air Assault on Ukraine Power Grid

Russia carried out a second large-scale drone and missile assault on Ukraine in just four days, striking energy infrastructure and civilian targets across multiple regions as winter tightens its grip and the war moves closer to its fourth year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched almost 300 drones, along with 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles, in a coordinated overnight attack that hit at least eight regions of the country. The main targets, once again, were power facilities and critical infrastructure, part of what Ukrainian officials describe as Moscow’s strategy of “weaponising winter.”

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, a strike on a mail depot killed four people and wounded at least 10 others, according to local authorities. In the Kyiv region, several hundred thousand households were left without electricity as temperatures in the capital fell to around minus 12 degrees Celsius. Icy streets, the constant hum of generators and emergency repairs became the backdrop to daily life as residents struggled through another night of blackouts.

Just four days earlier, Russia had launched a similarly massive wave of attacks, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. That strike also marked only the second time in the war that Moscow used a new hypersonic missile, which hit western Ukraine in what was widely seen as a warning to Kyiv’s NATO allies that Russia has no intention of easing military pressure.

The latest bombardment drew sharp criticism from Washington. On Monday, the United States accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” at a time when the Trump administration is trying to push forward diplomatic efforts aimed at opening a path to peace talks.

Addressing an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, U.S. deputy ambassador Tammy Bruce said Washington deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemned Russia’s intensifying attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.

In southern Ukraine, the port city of Odesa was also hit. Regional governor Oleh Kiper said six people were wounded and that the strikes damaged energy facilities, a hospital, a kindergarten, an educational institution and several residential buildings.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid, heating systems and water supply during the cold months, hoping to break civilian morale and weaken public support for the war effort. Ukraine’s full-scale invasion by Russia began on February 24, 2022, and officials in Kyiv say the latest attacks show Moscow is doubling down on this pressure tactic.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is counting on faster deliveries of promised air defence systems from the United States and European partners, as well as fresh aid commitments, to help counter the growing intensity of Russian air strikes.

Meanwhile, Russia said its own air defences shot down 11 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defence, seven of them were intercepted over the Rostov region. The region’s governor, Yuri Slyusar, confirmed an attack on the coastal city of Taganrog.

Ukrainian officials have previously said they have targeted Atlant Aero, a company based in Taganrog that produces components for combat drones. The city is also home to the Beriev aircraft company, making it a strategically important location for Russia’s military industry.

As both sides continue to trade long-range strikes and winter deepens across Ukraine, the latest wave of attacks underlines how far the conflict remains from a pause, even as international efforts to revive diplomacy continue in the background.