KYIV: Russia launched a large overnight air assault on Ukraine’s energy system, striking power plants and electricity networks across the country, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday. The attack came as winter temperatures dropped, adding pressure on an already damaged power sector.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia fired more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles of different types during the assault. The strikes targeted electricity generation facilities, substations, and distribution lines, causing widespread disruption to the national power grid.
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, weakened by nearly four years of war, has struggled to withstand repeated Russian attacks. Officials said the latest strikes further damaged the system at a time when freezing weather is increasing demand for electricity and heating.
Zelenskiy accused Moscow of rejecting diplomacy in favor of continued violence. In a statement, he said Russia could choose peaceful negotiations but instead uses attacks to exploit winter conditions and pressure Ukraine.
Russia did not immediately comment on the strikes.
Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said two major thermal power plants in western Ukraine were hit, along with key electricity substations. He described the attack as another deliberate attempt to cripple the country’s energy supply, adding that repair teams would begin work as soon as security conditions allow.
Emergency power outages were introduced nationwide, and Ukraine requested emergency electricity imports from Poland to help stabilize the grid. Officials in several regions reported explosions and damage, including in Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Khmelnytskyi.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said its thermal power plants suffered serious damage and confirmed this was the tenth major attack on its facilities since October 2025.
The strikes came only days after the latest round of US-brokered talks aimed at ending the war. Despite diplomatic efforts and pressure from Washington, the negotiations have so far failed to bring any breakthrough.
Polish authorities temporarily suspended operations at two airports near the Ukrainian border as a precaution during the attack. Flights later resumed once the situation stabilized.
