Russia launched one of its largest New Year attacks on Ukraine overnight, striking cities with missiles and drones, killing at least four people, and cutting power and heat in multiple regions. The attacks exposed millions of Ukrainians to dangerously cold winter temperatures.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said nearly 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and seven cruise missiles targeted energy facilities and substations across eight regions. Ukrainian air defense units intercepted 247 drones and seven missiles, but 24 sites still sustained damage.
Emergency power cuts were implemented in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk, the Energy Ministry reported. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said one of its thermal plants suffered heavy damage.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted videos of repair crews restoring pipes and heating. While most apartment buildings had heat restored, nearly 500 dwellings remained without it amid temperatures plunging to -16 Celsius (3 Fahrenheit).
In Kharkiv, four people were killed and over 30 were wounded when a postal terminal was hit by missiles and Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Odesa saw at least five people injured and fires at several facilities, including a fitness center and a vocational school.
Zelenskiy emphasized the ongoing need for air defense systems, calling Russia’s strikes “attacks against life” and reaffirming the resilience of Ukraine’s emergency crews working to restore normalcy.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the conflict. Kyiv officials say the strikes aim to inflict civilian suffering and break the national will, while Moscow claims attacks focus on military-industrial targets.
As Ukraine enters the fourth winter of war, Russian attacks have intensified, leaving residents vulnerable to cold and power shortages. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled, and Russian forces continue slow, costly advances in eastern Donetsk.
The strikes highlight both the human and infrastructural toll of the ongoing war, underscoring Ukraine’s urgent need for continued international support to sustain energy supplies and protect civilians during the harsh winter months.
