Hundreds Of Thousands Affected As Russia Hits Ukraine's Power Grid Amid Freezing Cold

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia used nearly 300 attack drones, as well as 18 ballistic and seven cruise missiles. "The situation in the Kyiv region is difficult -- several hundred thousand households are currently without power," said Zelenskyy in a post on X. Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had carried out a "massive strike" on Ukrainian energy facilities, stating that they were used by Ukraine's army and military-industrial complex."

"Ukraine's leading private energy provider, DTEK, reported that Russian missiles hit a thermal power plant overnight amid freezing temperatures, marking the eighth major attack on its facilities since October 2025. State energy provider Ukrenergo said on January 13 that Russia's missile and drone attack had targeted energy facilities in several regions, leaving many consumers without power in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as in Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions. It added that emergency repair and restoration work has begun wherever security conditions allow."

"The regional governor reported that a Russian attack on the Kharkiv region killed four people and injured several others. "The number of people killed in the enemy attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv has reached four," Oleh Syniehubov posted on Telegram. "With no military purpose whatsoever, Russia lobbed missiles at a postal terminal in Korotych, Kharkiv region, killing four people," Zelenskyy wrote about the deadly attack. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that a Russian drone hit a children's medical facility, causing a fire."

Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine that struck critical energy infrastructure and civilian sites while temperatures fell to around minus 15°C. The assault used nearly 300 attack drones along with 18 ballistic and seven cruise missiles, damaging a thermal power plant and other energy facilities. Widespread power outages affected Kyiv, Kyiv region and multiple oblasts including Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv and Donetsk. Emergency repair and restoration work has started where security conditions permit. The strikes killed at least four people in Kharkiv, damaged a postal terminal and hit a children’s medical facility, causing a fire; Odesa and other areas were also hit.

Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty