Emergency crews have restored power to many areas of Ukraine after a massive overnight Russian drone and missile assault on Friday struck key energy infrastructure, plunging large parts of Kyiv and several other regions into darkness and disrupting water supplies.
Authorities said the attack, one of the most extensive on Ukraine’s energy grid this year, left at least 27 people dead nationwide, including a seven-year-old boy in southeastern Ukraine, and injured more than 20 others.
Electricity was cut off in nine regions, affecting over a million households and businesses at the height of the strikes.
In Kyiv, explosions rocked the city overnight, damaging an apartment block in the city centre. On the capital’s left bank, commuters were stranded after metro services were suspended, forcing many to queue for overcrowded buses.
Residents also lined up at emergency distribution points to collect water.
“We didn’t sleep at all,” said Liuba, a pensioner. “From 2:30 a.m. there was so much noise. By 3:30 we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing.”
Ukraine’s energy ministry said that more than 800,000 customers in Kyiv lost power at one point.
By Saturday morning, the private energy firm DTEK announced that electricity had been restored to most residents in the capital and nearby areas, though localized outages persisted. Restoration efforts were also underway in the Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions.
Officials across the country reported continuing Russian strikes throughout Friday, including in Chernihiv, where a drone hit a vehicle belonging to the local energy utility, killing one person.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, saying Moscow had intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy network as winter approaches. “They can’t demonstrate anything real on the battlefield, so they attack our energy sector,” he said.
Zelenskyy called on allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, noting that 203 critical energy facilities across the country need protection. Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk held talks with G7 ambassadors and energy firms to coordinate international support for repairs and defensive measures.
“The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had timed the assault to divert attention from renewed peace efforts in the Middle East following the Gaza ceasefire.
Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles launched in the overnight attack. Officials said bad weather reduced air defence effectiveness by up to 30 percent.
Russia claimed its strikes were in retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian civilian and industrial facilities. Kyiv has regularly targeted Russian military and oil sites but on a much smaller scale, saying its goal is to push Moscow toward serious peace talks.
The strikes also disrupted daily life in Kyiv, where transport and water services were crippled. “We had no power or water when I left my house. I can’t get to work because the subway is not operating and buses are overflowing,” said Anatoliy, a 23-year-old student.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the assault as “one of the heaviest” on Ukraine’s energy network since the war began in February 2022. Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, said two million Kyiv residents temporarily lost access to water.
DTEK confirmed that several of its thermal power plants had suffered significant damage, though it provided no details.
As repairs continue, Ukrainian officials warn that the coming winter could bring more large-scale Russian attacks on the country’s already fragile energy infrastructure, testing both the resilience of its people and the resolve of its allies.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
