In brief
Russian forces carried out the biggest assault on Ukraine's power network since the beginning of spring, striking key plants, residential buildings and social infrastructure across 11 regions. Kyiv suffered heavy damage, with thick smoke and air‑raid alerts continuing into daylight. The attacks cut electricity to about 8,000 homes and prompted emergency rooms to treat numerous casualties – five deaths, a child and a utility worker among them. Ukrainian energy groups reported outages in multiple regions while the government urged residents to conserve power. The strike’s scale marks a new escalation in the conflict’s winter wave of attacks.
In an overnight bombardment that stretched across 11 regions, Russian forces struck Ukraine’s power grid, targeting the Trypilska power station and other key facilities. Kyiv and its surrounding districts were hit hardest, with thick smoke hanging over the capital and dozens of houses losing power. Ukrainian officials confirmed that electricity supply was restored to 8,000 homes, but power was still off in parts of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv.
The attack caused five fatalities, including a child and a utility‑company worker. Kyiv regional head Timur Tkachenko reported a child buried under rubble, while mayor Vitaly Klischko said a total of three people were killed in the capital. Additional deaths were reported in the Mykolaiv and Sumy regions.
Ukraine’s prime minister and president declared the operation a significant escalation. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted attacks in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions, while the energy ministry urged residents not to use heavy appliances from 10:00 to 16:00 local time.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had hit multiple targets and intercepted over 380 Ukrainian drones, claiming the Comey’s role in Ukrainian defence. Ukraine’s military struck a Russian drone warehouse in occupied Donetsk and reported counter‑offensive gains near Lyman.
Eyewitnesses in Kyiv described waking to smoke and the faint echo of air‑defence gunfire. Residents were advised to close windows until the air cleared. The days ahead remain tense as both sides brace for further escalation.
Acrid smoke obscured views over Kyiv on Wednesday, following a night of explosive strikes.
