At least six people have died after Russia launched hundreds of missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure and residential targets in Ukraine overnight.
A strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro killed two people and wounded 12, while three died in Zaporizhzhia.
In all, 25 locations across Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv, were hit, leaving many areas without electricity and heating. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram that major energy facilities were damaged in the Poltava, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions, and work was under way to restore power.
In Russia, the defence ministry said its forces had shot down 79 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The Ukrainian air force stated that Russia had launched more than 450 exploding bomber drones and 45 missiles, with nine missiles and 406 drones reportedly shot down.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported power cuts in the Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions, but restoration work was ongoing.
Svyrydenko noted that critical infrastructure facilities have already been reconnected, and water supply is being maintained using generators.
Russian officials argue that their attacks on energy targets are aimed at the Ukrainian military.
However, Ukrainian ministers express acute concern that Moscow is attempting to not only damage morale but also disrupt economic stability by collapsing the energy network as winter looms.
President Zelensky stated that the attacks underscore the necessity of implementing comprehensive Western sanctions on Russian energy. The missile strikes occurred soon after the US announced a one-year exemption for Hungary from purchasing restrictions on Russian oil and gas.
Zelensky stressed that every strike by Moscow on energy infrastructure, which harms ordinary civilians, should provoke a sanctions response aimed directly at Russian energy—with no exceptions.
As the conflict enters its fourth winter, analysts assert that this period will significantly test Ukraine's defensive resilience.
