Russian strikes leave 600,000 without power in Ukraine, Zelensky says
Overnight Russian missile and drone attacks left more than 600,000 people without power across Ukraine and killed at least three people in Kyiv. Strikes targeted critical energy infrastructure despite a US-announced energy ceasefire.
- Headline Dispatch: Russian strikes leave 600,000 without power in Ukraine, Zelensky says
- Core Takeaway: Overnight Russian missile and drone attacks left more than 600,000 people without power across Ukraine and killed at least three people in Kyiv. Strikes targeted critical energy infrastructure despite a US-announced energy ceasefire.
- Source Synthesis: Continuous live monitoring aggregated across major news wires and independent bureaus.
Rescue workers combed through the wreckage of damaged buildings in Kyiv on Wednesday after a wave of Russian missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian capital overnight. The deadly overnight barrage left at least three people dead and dozens injured, while plunging more than 600,000 people across Ukraine into darkness without electricity. The strikes targeted critical energy facilities in Kyiv, the surrounding capital region, and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv.
Casualties and Destruction in the Capital
In the Desnianskyi district of Kyiv, an attack on a nine-storey residential block killed two people and injured 21, including a child. Emergency crews rescued 16 residents from the structure while firefighters tackled a blaze spanning 400 square metres. Sixteen of those injured required hospitalisation, with four listed in a serious condition. Another person was killed and one injured in the Holosiivskyi district, where a non-residential building sustained a direct hit. Psychologists from the emergency services assisted 110 people at the affected sites.
The capital's energy network also took a direct hit. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a ballistic missile struck the CHP-4 heat and power plant. According to the Ukrainian leader, the country received no warning from its partners before detecting the incoming missiles. Temperatures in Kyiv fell below 10 degrees Celsius as the morning broke without power.
Controversy Over the US-Announced Energy Ceasefire
The overnight assaults shattered expectations surrounding diplomatic arrangements. US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday via social media that an immediate energy ceasefire was in effect between Russia and Ukraine, writing: Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!
President Zelenskyy stated that the strikes specifically targeted energy infrastructure covered by that American-announced ceasefire, noting that six Ukrainian energy sites have been hit by Russia since the announcement.
He added that the strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale."Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States,"
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, via The Guardian
President Zelenskyy has previously maintained that Ukraine is ready to halt its strikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Moscow reciprocated. However, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the arrangement, asserting that Ukraine does not deserve the respite a ceasefire would bring, and claiming that under any truce Europe would be able to pump Ukraine with new weapons to continue the war.
Military Scale and Communications Complications
Russia's defence ministry defended the operation by stating that its massive overnight strikes targeted communications and energy facilities in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions used by Ukraine's military. Moscow's defence ministry additionally claimed that 902 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over a number of Russian regions, including the capital Moscow and Crimea, the southern peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Conversely, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles alongside 128 drones overnight, with air defenses successfully intercepting four of those missiles and 115 drones.
| Metric | Reported Figures |
|---|---|
| People without power | More than 600,000 |
| Kyiv casualties | 3 dead, 22 injured (DSNS reported 21 injured) |
| Russian aerial launch | 39 missiles, 128 drones |
| Ukrainian interceptions | 4 missiles, 115 drones |
| Russian drones claimed intercepted by Moscow | 902 drones |
Compounding the military strain on the ground, a senior aide to President Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine has been left struggling after Starlink satellite connection speeds were apparently restricted. Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign Flash, stated:
"Our defence forces received no warning about this restriction, and it led to the disruption of a number of missions. Clearly, this action cannot be a coincidence and is linked to the current political situation."
Serhii Beskrestnov (Flash), Senior aide to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, via The Guardian
International Reactions and Diplomatic Next Steps
The crisis unfolds against a backdrop of wider European political movements. President Zelenskyy is expected in London today for high-level talks with the UK's prime minister. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte scheduled a visit to Estonia, and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is slated to address the Bundestag with a statement concerning the European Union and Ukraine.
Full-scale hostilities initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022 continue to grind forward, with Moscow currently maintaining control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory. As emergency services continue restoration efforts across the affected regions, further diplomatic fallout from the broken energy ceasefire is anticipated following President Zelenskyy's scheduled discussions abroad.
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