At least six people were killed after a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes hit energy facilities and residential areas across Ukraine overnight. The attacks — reported across 25 locations including Kyiv — damaged major power infrastructure and left many communities without electricity and heat as restoration teams mobilised. Ukrainian officials said apartment blocks and regional energy nodes were struck in cities such as Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, while Kyiv and other regions experienced rolling outages. Both Kyiv and Moscow released competing tallies of incoming and intercepted weapons; damage assessments and casualty reports are still being compiled.
Key takeaways
- Casualties: At least six people dead; two killed and 12 wounded in an apartment strike in Dnipro, and three fatalities reported in Zaporizhzhia.
- Scope of attack: Officials said 25 sites across Ukraine were hit, including residential buildings and energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Poltava and Kharkiv regions.
- Weapons claimed: The Ukrainian air force reported more than 450 explosive ‘bomber’ drones and 45 missiles launched; it said nine missiles and 406 drones were intercepted.
- Russian claim: The Russian defence ministry said its forces shot down 79 Ukrainian drones overnight — a competing figure to Kyiv’s reports.
- Infrastructure impact: Power cuts were reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions; critical facilities were being reconnected and water supply maintained with generators.
- Political fallout: President Zelensky urged tighter Western energy sanctions on Russia, after the US granted Hungary a one-year exemption on buying Russian oil and gas.
Background
Attacks on Ukraine’s energy network have been a recurring tactic since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, escalating as winter approaches when electricity and heating are most critical. Kyiv has repeatedly warned that strikes timed before and during winter aim to degrade civilian morale and inflict economic disruption by impairing power generation and distribution. Western governments have responded with military, financial and humanitarian assistance, but debates over energy sanctions and exemptions — including a recent US waiver for Hungary — have complicated unified pressure on Moscow.
Ukraine entered its fourth winter under full-scale war in 2025 with significantly reinforced air defence systems compared with 2022, yet the scale and evolving use of explosive drones have strained intercept capacity. Key stakeholders include Ukraine’s national and regional energy operators, emergency services, the armed forces, and international suppliers of air-defence and repair equipment. Recovery operations typically involve rapid deployment of crews to repair lines and restart generators, while emergency measures such as water-from-generators are used to maintain essential services.
Main event
Overnight raids struck multiple regions. Local authorities said an apartment block in Dnipro was hit, killing two people and wounding a dozen; emergency responders evacuated residents and attended to fires and structural damage. Separate reports from Zaporizhzhia listed three deaths linked to strikes there. Officials included Kyiv among the 25 locations affected, with each region reporting varying levels of damage to distribution networks and generating capacity.
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry announced power cuts in several oblasts — Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa and Kirovohrad — while saying repair teams were already working to restore service. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted on Telegram that major energy installations in Poltava, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions were damaged but that critical facilities had been reconnected and water supply was being sustained by generators.
On the military contact lines, Kyiv described the incoming wave as a mixed barrage of long-range missiles and large numbers of explosive drones designed to overwhelm defences. The Ukrainian air force reported it had intercepted the majority of incoming munitions, citing figures that differ from Russian claims. Moscow defended the strikes as intended to hit Ukrainian military and energy-related targets.
Analysis & implications
Strategically, repeated strikes on energy infrastructure aim to impose disproportionate civilian cost and economic strain on Ukraine as winter approaches. Even when many munitions are intercepted, intermittent but precise hits on substations, transmission lines and generation sites can cascade into widespread outages. That increases the logistical burden on Kyiv and its partners, who must prioritise repairs while maintaining front-line support.
Politically, these strikes intensify pressure on Western governments to widen or tighten measures against Russia’s energy sector. President Zelensky framed the attacks as evidence that partial exemptions to energy sanctions undermine deterrence. Conversely, nations granted waivers — citing economic or political dependencies — argue for calibrated approaches that balance energy security and geopolitical pressure.
Militarily, the large numbers of small, explosive drones represent an evolving threat that can saturate defences and complicate attribution and response. Ukraine’s ability to sustain air-defence performance will be critical in preventing higher civilian tolls and longer-term damage to the power grid. Continued supply of interceptors, jammers, spares and repair equipment from international partners will shape resilience through the winter months.
Comparison & data
| Claim | Launched | Reported shot down |
|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian air force (claimed) | 450+ drones, 45 missiles | 406 drones, 9 missiles |
| Russian defence ministry (claimed) | — | 79 Ukrainian drones (shot down by Russia) |
The two sets of public figures do not align, reflecting the fog of war and competing narratives. Kyiv’s tallies emphasise successful interceptions to reassure the public, while Moscow’s statement highlights its own defensive claims. Independent verification often lags behind immediate reporting; analysts caution that initial counts can be revised as wreckage is examined and sensors are cross-checked.
Reactions & quotes
Ukrainian leaders framed the strikes as a deliberate campaign to undermine civilian life and force international action.
“There must be no exceptions to sanctions on Russian energy — pressure must be intensified.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky
The prime minister focused on emergency response and restoration.
“Critical infrastructure facilities have already been reconnected; water supply is being maintained by generators.”
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko (Telegram)
Moscow described the operation as targeting military and energy infrastructure connected to the conflict.
“Our forces intercepted hostile aerial devices overnight,”
Russian Defence Ministry (statement)
Unconfirmed
- Precise attribution of each individual strike: while Kyiv and Moscow give competing accounts, the specific weapon responsible for some hits remains under verification.
- Full casualty and damage totals: regional authorities are still completing assessments, so the final human and infrastructure toll may change.
- Intent behind particular targets: Russia states military aims, while Ukraine and analysts say civilian infrastructure was deliberately targeted; independent confirmation of intent is pending further investigation.
Bottom line
Overnight strikes that killed at least six people and damaged energy infrastructure across 25 locations underscore the acute vulnerability of Ukraine’s power network as winter nears. Even with many intercepts, relatively small numbers of successful hits can have outsized humanitarian and economic effects.
The immediate priorities are medical care for the wounded, restoring power and water to affected communities, and transparent verification of damage and casualties. In the weeks ahead, the incident is likely to intensify debate among Western allies over the scope of energy-related sanctions and the support needed to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and grid resilience.
Sources
- BBC News — news report summarising official Ukrainian and Russian statements and regional damage assessments.