Russia carried out a large overnight air assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Saturday, striking electricity generation sites and distribution networks, Ukrainian authorities said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack involved more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles of various types, aimed at power plants, substations and key transmission lines.
Nearly four years into the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s energy sector is under growing pressure from repeated strikes, cumulative damage and freezing winter conditions.
‘Russia Chooses Strikes Over Diplomacy’
Zelenskiy accused Moscow of prioritising military escalation over diplomatic solutions, saying Russia continues to use energy infrastructure as a weapon.
“Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,” Zelenskiy wrote on X. He urged international partners backing talks to respond, warning that Moscow should not be allowed to exploit winter cold as leverage against Ukraine.
Russia did not immediately comment on the latest attack.
Power Plants and Substations Hit
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the strikes damaged two thermal power stations in western Ukraine and core components of the national electricity system, including substations and major distribution lines.
“Russian criminals carried out another massive attack on Ukraine’s energy facilities,” Shmyhal said on Telegram, adding that repair crews were ready to begin work once security conditions allow.
The attacks came as temperatures began to fall sharply, with forecasts predicting lows of minus 14 degrees Celsius (7 Fahrenheit) in the coming days.
Attacks Follow Recent Peace Talks
The renewed assault on the power grid came just days after the latest round of US-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia aimed at ending the war. Despite pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump and multiple negotiation rounds, diplomacy has yet to yield concrete results.
Widespread Outages and Emergency Measures
Since autumn 2025, Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, triggering frequent blackouts and leaving millions without electricity for hours at a time.
Ukrainian officials said emergency power cuts were introduced nationwide. Shmyhal said Kyiv requested emergency electricity imports from Poland to help stabilise the grid.
Regional authorities reported attacks across multiple western regions, including Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv. Officials said the Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants were among the facilities hit.
Energy Firms Report Heavy Damage
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy producer, said equipment at its thermal power plants in several regions sustained significant damage. The company said this marked the 10th attack on its thermal facilities since October 2025.
Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi warned that power outages could last longer as Russia continues to target energy sites. He said air raid alerts in the Lviv region, near the Polish border, lasted more than six hours.
Impact Beyond Ukraine
Polish authorities said two airports in southeastern Poland temporarily suspended operations as a precaution due to Russian strikes near the border. Airport services later resumed.
As winter deepens, Ukrainian officials warn that continued attacks on energy infrastructure risk worsening humanitarian conditions and further destabilising the country’s power supply.