Russia renewed its campaign to destroy Ukraine’s power grid on Sunday, targeting energy facilities across the country with cruise and ballistic missiles and long-range drones, marking its most intense aerial bombardment in months, according to Ukrainian officials.
The attack lasted several hours and involved approximately 120 missiles and 90 drones, as stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Air-defense teams successfully intercepted more than 140 targets; however, at least five civilians were reported killed.
President Zelensky noted, “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine,” adding that there was damage to various facilities from missile strikes and falling debris.
Interceptor missiles were observed in the skies over the capital, creating trails of smoke as they engaged incoming threats, with similar scenes reported across the country.
The assault utilized a combination of missiles launched from Russian bombers, warships, and land-based systems, alongside swarms of drones attacking from multiple angles. This renewed effort to undermine Ukraine’s energy grid coincides with the onset of winter.
Ukrainian officials indicated that the attack exemplified President Vladimir Putin's lack of interest in peace, emphasizing his intent to dismantle the Ukrainian state. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack as Putin’s “true response” to peace calls, asserting the need for “peace through strength, not appeasement.”
In response to the attack, emergency blackouts were implemented nationwide to prevent system overload. The full extent of the damage remains unclear, with explosions reported in nearly every region of Ukraine.
Local officials confirmed that two railway workers were killed in the Dnipro region, and at least two fatalities occurred in the port city of Mykolaiv. Additionally, fires in Lviv, caused by debris striking a garage, resulted in one death, while two individuals injured by falling debris in Kyiv were hospitalized. In Odesa, all electrically powered transit services were suspended.
Ukrainian officials warned that the number of casualties could increase as assessments continue.
This bombardment follows over two months of nightly drone attacks aimed at exhausting Ukrainian air defenses and instilling fear among civilians.