Russia launches another major strike on Ukraine’s power grid in freezing temperatures

Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine Tuesday, targeting the power grid with nearly 300 drones and 25 missiles across eight regions as temperatures plunged well below freezing.

The bombardment—Russia’s second major assault in just four days—left hundreds of thousands without electricity in the Kyiv region and killed four people at a mail depot in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In Kyiv, where temperatures have hovered around minus 12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than two weeks, Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the resulting outage as the most severe the capital has experienced during the war. More than 500 residential buildings lost central heating, forcing residents to seek alternative sources of warmth amid ice-covered streets.

“I still have enough patience. I’m not reacting to this in a very emotional way,” said Olena Davydova, 30, who had been without power for nearly 50 hours. She told The Associated Press she now sleeps in one bed with her child and two cats, stores fresh food on her balcony, and relies on candles after dark.

Throughout Kyiv, residents have congregated at government-built “Points of Invincibility” shelters—temporary installations providing food, drinks, warmth, and electricity. Others have sought refuge in apartments that still have power or hot water, if only temporarily, to charge devices or take warm showers.

The city administration has implemented emergency measures, with Klitschko ordering one hot meal daily for vulnerable residents and announcing bonuses for utility workers laboring “day and night” to restore critical infrastructure.

In Odesa, six people were wounded in the attack, which damaged energy infrastructure, a hospital, a kindergarten, and residential buildings, according to Oleh Kiper, head of the regional military administration.

The intensification of Russian strikes comes at a politically significant moment, as the U.S.-led Trump administration attempts to advance peace negotiations. At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Tammy Bruce accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” of the conflict.

“The sharp increase in long-range attacks and the targeting of Ukraine’s national energy infrastructure mean that the consequences of the war are now felt by civilians far beyond the front line,” said Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The U.N. reported that 2023 was the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with 2,514 deaths and 12,142 injuries—31 percent higher than in 2022.

Military analysts suggest Russia’s systematic targeting of energy facilities is a deliberate strategy to wear down public morale during winter months. Ukrainian officials describe it as “weaponizing winter,” forcing civilians to endure freezing temperatures without heat or running water.

In response to the escalation, Zelenskyy called for expedited deliveries of previously promised air defense systems from Western allies and new pledges of assistance.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its own long-range strikes against Russian military targets. Russian authorities reported intercepting 11 Ukrainian drones overnight, with seven reportedly destroyed over Russia’s Rostov region. Ukraine’s military claimed a successful strike on the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog, which manufactures Molniya drones and components for Orion unmanned aerial vehicles, with explosions and fire reported at the site.

As the conflict approaches its four-year mark next month, both sides continue to deploy increasingly sophisticated weaponry. Just four days earlier, Russia had launched another massive attack, using a powerful hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine—only the second time such a weapon has been deployed in the conflict.

With winter conditions expected to persist for several more weeks, humanitarian concerns are mounting about the civilian population’s ability to endure these targeted infrastructure attacks amid the coldest months of the year.