Russia has launched a series of deadly drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, targeting the city's power infrastructure as freezing winter approaches. The attacks, which occurred on Wednesday, prompted an urgent call for contingencies and left many in the city considering whether to stay or relocate. At least four people were killed in and around Kyiv, including a young child found under the rubble of a demolished residential building.
The Russian defence ministry said it had conducted a "massive missile and drone strike" on Kyiv and the surrounding region, targeting the power infrastructure. Ukraine's main energy provider, DTEK, confirmed that the grid was damaged and supplies were affected to 8,000 households. Engineers were able to restore power, but the incident was described as "another difficult night for the capital".
The attacks are seen as the start of a new Russian winter campaign against the energy sector, according to Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky. He indicated that the attacks had been ongoing since the summer, but Wednesday's incident was the largest-scale combined attack since the end of the last heating season. President Volodymyr Zelensky said water supplies had also been cut and "critical infrastructure" was hit in attacks across the country.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russia's then military leaders in 2024 over attacks on Ukraine's energy grid, which were deemed a war crime causing "excessive harm" to civilians. Wednesday's strikes hit residential buildings and businesses, sparking fires and widespread damage to property and cars. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a driver at a local utility firm was killed when a warehouse was hit, while two others were killed elsewhere.
Russia has been deploying newer jet-powered drones that move faster and are harder to intercept than traditional models. Zelensky has repeatedly appealed to Ukraine's allies for more military support, including US-made interceptors to combat Russia's powerful ballistic missiles. He emphasized that every interceptor missile "truly saves lives" and that more protection is needed as winter approaches.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm at the scale of the escalating daily attacks in Ukraine and mounting civilian casualties on both sides. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia was "not interested" in meaningful talks to end the conflict, following talks between Germany's foreign minister and his Russian counterpart at the United Nations.
The attacks have left many in Kyiv considering whether to stay or relocate, particularly the vulnerable and disabled. Ensuring energy supply in Ukraine is critical as months of bitter cold approach, with temperatures potentially dropping as low as -20C. The Ukrainian government is urging local authorities to check the readiness of back-up power systems for critical facilities in communities and complete all work on their installation and connection as quickly as possible.
Key points
- At least four people killed in Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv
- Attacks seen as start of new Russian winter campaign against energy sector
- International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian military leaders over attacks on Ukraine's energy grid
