Zelenskyy says Ukrainian air force needs to improve as Russian drone barrages take a toll

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the country’s air force on Friday, calling its performance “unsatisfactory” in certain regions as Russian drone attacks continue to target civilian infrastructure across Ukraine. He announced that measures are being implemented to improve responses to the large-scale aerial assaults that have devastated the country’s power grid.

The relentless Russian bombardment has particularly focused on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the harsh winter months, leaving thousands of Ukrainians without heat, power, and water amid freezing temperatures. In Kyiv alone, more than 1,200 residential buildings currently lack heating due to the damage inflicted on the power network.

“Ukraine’s electricity network is experiencing its most acute crisis of the winter,” the UK defense ministry reported Friday, highlighting the severity of the situation as the conflict approaches its fifth year with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.

In the latest barrage, Russia launched 328 drones and seven missiles at Ukraine overnight and in the early morning hours. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly intercepted 297 drones, though the attacks still caused significant casualties and damage in multiple regions.

The central Dnipropetrovsk region suffered one fatality and two injuries following Russian attacks using drones and powerful glide bombs. In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, an early morning aerial assault injured eight people and damaged 18 apartment buildings. The attack also struck a dog shelter in Zaporizhzhia’s regional capital, killing 13 dogs and injuring seven others.

Mykola Tromza, an 81-year-old Kyiv resident, described his recent ordeal of going without heating and water for a week. “I touched my nose and by God, it was like an icicle,” he recounted, explaining how he had to run up and down to keep warm in his freezing apartment.

Zelenskyy said he had consulted with his defense minister and air force commander about necessary improvements to Ukraine’s air defenses, though he did not provide specific details about the planned measures. The discussion comes as both sides increasingly rely on advanced drone technology that has expanded the battlefield’s “kill zone.”

Ukraine’s Commander in Chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted that the front line now stretches approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) across eastern and southern Ukraine. He added that technological advancements in drone capabilities have extended the high-danger “kill zone” to about 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep, significantly changing battlefield dynamics.

While Ukrainian forces defend against Russian aerial attacks, they have also launched their own drone operations against Russian territory. Russian officials reported downing 38 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 26 intercepted over the Bryansk region. The attacks briefly disrupted power to several villages. In Belgorod, another Ukrainian strike reportedly damaged power facilities, including a power plant and an electrical substation, causing outages in parts of the city.

Despite the escalating drone warfare and frigid temperatures, intense ground combat continues along the extensive front line. The conflict shows no signs of resolution as U.S.-led peace efforts have yielded little progress. Zelenskyy mentioned that additional U.S.-brokered meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are planned “in the near future, likely in the United States,” but concrete outcomes remain elusive.

As Ukraine approaches the five-year mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion later this month, the humanitarian impact of the war continues to mount, with infrastructure destruction forcing civilians to endure increasingly difficult living conditions. The strategic targeting of power facilities during winter months has emerged as a key Russian tactic, designed to break Ukrainian morale and strain the country’s resources as fighting persists across multiple fronts.