In a major overnight assault, Russia launched nearly 300 drones and 50 missiles at Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Sunday. The attack, which arrived just days before the war’s fourth anniversary, targeted power supplies across seven regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk.
At least one person was killed in the Kyiv region and eight others injured. Residential buildings and railway infrastructure also sustained damage. Ukraine’s grid operator, Ukrenergo, imposed emergency power outages in multiple regions, including the capital, in response to the strikes.
Governor Oleh Kiper reported that a drone attack on Odesa’s energy grid ignited several fires, though crews have since extinguished them. Russia has intensified its campaign against Ukraine’s power grid in recent weeks, compounding hardships for civilians enduring freezing winter temperatures.
In a reciprocal escalation, Moscow claimed it intercepted 86 Ukrainian drones over Russian-controlled areas. In occupied Luhansk, a fuel depot reportedly caught fire after a drone strike, while a man was killed in Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Belgorod region.
Zelenskyy renewed his plea for bolstered air defenses, stressing the need for systems capable of countering ballistic missiles. “Each package protects critical infrastructure and preserves normal life,” he said.
Meanwhile, U.S.-mediated peace talks remain deadlocked as Russia demands Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donbas—a proposal Kyiv firmly rejects. The conflict entered its fifth year with no end in sight.
