Russia launches largest attack on Ukraine energy infrastructure since spring

Russia has carried out the largest attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since spring, primarily targeting Kyiv and its surrounding region, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi. At least five fatalities were reported, including a child in the Kyiv region. The strikes disrupted power supplies, with Ukraine's largest private energy firm, DTEK, reporting that power had been restored to 8,000 homes following a challenging night for the capital.

The Russian defence ministry claimed one of its targets was the Trypilska power station, the largest provider of electricity to Kyiv. In a Telegram statement, Koretskyi highlighted that a mass and combined attack of this scale had not occurred since the end of the last heating season. Eleven regions of Ukraine were targeted overnight, with residential buildings, social infrastructure, civilian enterprises, and railways also coming under attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported strikes on critical infrastructure in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, and Rivne regions. Some households in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy, Kyiv, and Kharkiv regions continued to lack power. Ukraine's state-owned grid operator, Ukrenegro, advised residents to avoid using powerful electrical appliances between 10:00 and 16:00 local time due to reduced electricity supplies.

The Russian defence ministry stated that its targets included the Trypilska thermal power plant, located 40km from Kyiv, and claimed it supplied electricity to Ukrainian defence facilities. Centrenergo, the plant's operator, confirmed that the facility had been damaged and was assessing the extent of the damage. Thick, acrid smoke blanketed Kyiv after a night filled with explosions, and an air raid alert remained in effect.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klischko confirmed that three people, including a utility company worker, were killed in the capital. A school was also struck in Sumy region, and Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, currently controlling about 20% of Ukrainian territory.