Russian Strikes Cut Power to Over 600,000 in Ukraine Amid Winter Threat

Overnight Russian strikes damaged Ukraine's energy network, leaving more than 600,000 people in Kyiv and nearby regions without electricity as missiles and drones hit power facilities and homes.

Watch: Kyiv hit by overnight Russian drone attack

Overnight, Russia launched a broad strike across Ukraine, targeting energy facilities and leaving large parts of the Kyiv region without power. Officials say the attack comes as winter approaches and families brace for colder days ahead.

The Ukrainian energy ministry reported that more than 600,000 customers were offline, with Kyiv city accounting for the majority of outages. The outages were attributed to missile and drone strikes on power plants, substations, and other energy infrastructure in the capital and several surrounding regions.

Authorities said about 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones targeted sites nationwide. Three people were killed and dozens were injured, including a 13-year-old in Kyiv, during the overnight bombardment.

Emergency crews worked through the night to assess damage to residences, as several apartment blocks were hit in the capital. DTEK Energy, a major supplier for Kyiv, said electricity had been restored to more than 360,000 households by Saturday afternoon.

Ukraine’s air defense reported shooting down 558 drones and 19 missiles. Despite these efforts, many energy facilities remain fragile as winter nears and residents face rolling outages.

The strikes come as Ukraine has intensified its own efforts against Russian energy infrastructure and strategic assets, including long-range operations aimed at reducing Moscow’s war funding. Security services said they hit two oil tankers in the Black Sea connected to Russia’s sanctioned shipping network, sharing footage of a watercraft attack and resulting flames.

Diplomats in Kyiv were preparing for talks with U.S. officials over the weekend. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has urged both sides to back a revised peace plan, while Kyiv stresses the primacy of sovereignty and security guarantees.

On the battlefield, Russian forces control most of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and parts of the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Western allies have urged a freeze along the current front line as a possible step toward diplomacy. Putin signaled that a US delegation would meet Moscow in the first half of next week to discuss the draft proposal.

Expert comment: Analysts say the strikes are intended to erode civilian resilience this winter and press Kyiv at the negotiating table. They caution that further escalation could raise the risk for civilians and complicate any peace process.

Summary

Overnight attacks damaged Ukraine’s energy network, causing widespread power outages and injuries in Kyiv and other regions. Ukraine continues to defend its skies while pursuing diplomatic channels with the United States, signaling a high-stakes effort to curb Moscow’s war effort. The events underscore how energy infrastructure has become a central front as winter approaches.