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Russian overnight strikes killed at least three people and injured 21 others in Kyiv while cutting electricity to at least 600,000 residents across Ukraine, the country’s state emergencies service reported to the BBC. The attacks targeted a key energy facility and a residential building on the capital’s outskirts along with critical infrastructure in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the strikes damaged around 30 energy sites in total, according to a Reuters compilation of his comments. Ukrainian officials noted that the assaults came without the usual advance warnings from partners in some cases.
The strikes hit state railway facilities in five regions in addition to the energy targets, Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi told reporters as cited by Reuters. A residential high-rise in Kyiv sustained damage that forced evacuations and prompted emergency response teams to search for victims under debris. Zelenskiy characterised the operation as ostentatious disrespect to diplomatic initiatives aimed at reducing violence, Reuters reported from his public remarks. The pattern reflects intensified Russian use of ballistic missiles that have strained Ukrainian defences in recent months.
Russia’s defence ministry announced that its forces carried out massive strikes on communications centres, four power plants near Kyiv and two in Kharkiv along with other military-linked sites. The ministry described the targets as supporting Ukrainian armed forces operations without addressing civilian casualties in its statement. According to the same Russian assessment shared with Reuters, the action formed part of ongoing responses to perceived threats from Ukrainian activities. Ukrainian air force data showed defences downed only four of the 39 missiles launched in the barrage.
The assault followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement days earlier that an energy ceasefire had been agreed between the warring parties, a claim neither Moscow nor Kyiv has independently verified according to multiple Reuters reports. Trump linked the initiative to his decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports in order to ease fuel prices ahead of American elections. Zelenskiy has voiced conditional support for such de-escalation measures while accusing Russia of continuing infrastructure attacks regardless. The BBC noted that the latest violence occurred just after Trump’s Sunday declaration.
Recent days have seen fluctuating adherence to any informal restraint on energy targets, with Reuters documenting six energy sites hit in strikes earlier in the week despite the announced truce. Over the past week Ukrainian officials tallied more than 200 strikes on generating capacity, a figure Zelenskiy highlighted in addresses covered by both the BBC and Reuters. Air defence units achieved higher success rates against drones than missiles during these exchanges, yet ballistic threats continue to penetrate with regularity. The cumulative effect has forced electricity rationing in several areas as winter nears.
Emergency services continue recovery operations at multiple strike locations, with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko updating residents on power restoration efforts through local channels reported by Reuters. Similar overnight operations in prior weeks, including a glide bomb attack on Zaporizhzhia that killed at least 20 according to separate BBC coverage, have elevated overall civilian risks. Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for accelerated deliveries of air defence systems from Western allies in response to the sustained campaign. Ukrainian authorities maintain that their forces have avoided civilian targets in reciprocal actions.
