Russia carried out its most extensive air assault on Ukraine in nearly three months on Sunday, deploying 120 missiles and 90 drones. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least seven people and inflicted significant damage on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to officials.
For weeks, Ukrainians had been anticipating another Russian offensive targeting their already fragile energy grid. The population has been preparing for prolonged winter blackouts, adding to the psychological toll as the war nears its 1,000th day since Russia launched its large-scale invasion.
The wave of strikes, which caused widespread power outages, comes at a time when the potential U.S. presidency of Donald Trump—who has promised to end the war without specifying his strategy—raises questions about future efforts toward peace negotiations.
In Kyiv, air defenses were active throughout the night, intercepting drones, while loud explosions echoed across the city’s center during the missile strikes. Residents sought refuge in underground metro stations, bundling up against the winter chill.
“Severe damage to Ukraine’s energy system, including to DTEK power stations. These attacks again highlight Ukraine’s need for additional air defense systems from our allies,” said Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company.
The exact impact of the strikes remains unclear. Following repeated Russian assaults on the electrical grid, officials have been cautious about disclosing specific details on the extent of the damage or the network’s condition.
Authorities confirmed disruptions to “critical infrastructure” and power outages spanning regions from Volyn, Rivne, and Lviv in the west to Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast.
Emergency blackouts were implemented by DTEK in the southern Odesa region, but power was restored in three other regions by late morning. National grid operator Ukrenergo reported that repair efforts were ongoing in Odesa, Rivne, and Volyn.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that it had targeted energy facilities that support Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure across Ukraine,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 104 of the 120 missiles launched and intercepting 42 drones. An additional 41 projectiles vanished from radar, according to their statement.
At least seven fatalities were reported in the Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, local authorities confirmed.
Poland, a NATO member bordering Ukraine to the west, scrambled its air force as a precautionary measure in response to the attacks.
The last significant bombardment of Kyiv occurred on August 26, when over 200 missiles and drones were fired at various targets across Ukraine, according to officials.
This latest offensive adds to the strain on Ukraine as Russian forces achieve their most rapid territorial advances in the east since 2022, in an ongoing effort to claim the entirety of the Donbas industrial region.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are working to retain control of territory captured in Russia’s Kursk region in August, a move Kyiv has suggested could be used as leverage in future negotiations.
Mykhailo Sybiha, an adviser to Zelensky, suggested that the strike was a calculated response from Moscow to recent international communications with President Vladimir Putin. This appeared to reference German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke with Putin on Friday for the first time in two years.
Although Scholz urged Putin to withdraw Russian troops, which occupy about one-fifth of Ukraine, Kyiv expressed frustration over the call, viewing it as easing Putin’s diplomatic isolation.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed this sentiment, stating, “The attack last night, one of the biggest in this war, has proved that telephone diplomacy cannot replace real support from the whole West for Ukraine. The next weeks will be decisive, not only for the war itself, but also for our future.”
{Matzav.com}