More than 600,000 people in the Kyiv region, including half a million in the capital itself, are without power after overnight Russian missile and drone attacks that hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing three and injuring dozens. Ukraine’s energy ministry said the outages followed one of the largest bombardments in months, with 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones launched into Saturday morning. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 19 missiles and 558 drones, but several reached key power facilities and residential blocks.
Loud explosions were heard across Kyiv early on Saturday. Emergency services were seen responding to fires and damaged buildings, as residents described intense heat and flying debris. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said 29 people were injured, including a 13-year-old child, and warned that power restoration could take days. Temperatures are forecast to drop to 2°C on Sunday, raising fears of renewed winter blackouts.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had carried out “a massive strike against Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and the energy facilities that support their operation.” Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians. Other strikes were reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Poltava, where substations and homes were destroyed.
Power grid crews have been deployed across affected regions, but the scale of damage means some areas could remain dark for at least 48 hours. Ukraine has experienced repeated attacks on its energy systems since the invasion began in February 2022, with previous winters marked by rolling blackouts and rationing.
The strikes came as Ukrainian and US officials prepare to resume peace discussions this weekend. US President Donald Trump has been pressing for both sides to agree to a draft peace plan initially tilted towards Russia but later amended after talks in Geneva. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed diplomatic efforts but said Kyiv will not compromise its sovereignty or security. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his demand for Ukrainian troop withdrawals from occupied regions, saying Russia would halt its offensive only under those terms.
Putin confirmed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week for further talks on the plan, which US and European allies hope can form the basis for ending the nearly three-year war.