Russia’s massive missile and drone barrage cripples Ukraine energy and rail

A large-scale Russian aerial assault struck Ukraine overnight, officials said, using dozens of missiles and hundreds of strike drones that hit power stations, rail hubs and residential areas and forced thousands to seek shelter amid a deep cold snap.

Ukraine’s air force said Moscow launched roughly 71 missiles and some 450 attack drones overnight, adding that air defenses shot down or suppressed 38 missiles and 412 drones. The air force said 27 missiles and 31 drones impacted across 27 locations. Ukraine and energy operators reported damage to electricity infrastructure that has produced outages across multiple regions during one of the coldest stretches of winter.

Ukrenergo, the state power operator, wrote on Telegram that there were “a significant number of power outages in Kyiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions” and that “there are also damaged energy facilities in several regions.” With temperatures plunging into double digits below zero Celsius in parts of the country, officials warned that extended blackouts would deepen humanitarian risks for millions of people.

The bombardment extended across a broad swath of the country. Kyiv experienced damage to residential and administrative buildings, including reports of a pre-school struck in the capital and fires on upper floors of apartment blocks that forced residents into metro stations and other shelters. Regional authorities reported hits and outages in Kharkiv, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions. In Kharkiv a drone strike ignited a high-rise fire; regional emergency services said five people were injured and three rescued. Kyiv emergency services reported three people injured in the capital, and one agency said at least 10 people were wounded across the country.

The attack, which Ukrainian officials described as including what they called a record number of ballistic missiles, came as diplomats prepared to resume talks in Abu Dhabi. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes sought to deny civilians heat and light at a moment of extreme cold and pressed for more international pressure on Moscow, writing that “Taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorize people is more important to Russia than diplomacy.” He also urged “maximum pressure” from the international community.

Ukrainian military authorities said they struck several targets in Russian-held areas during the same window, naming a drone training and production site in occupied Zaporizhzhia, a concentration of Russian forces near the border city of Belgorod, and an electronic warfare site in occupied Donetsk. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed at least 10 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The strike comes against a tense diplomatic backdrop. Moscow and Kyiv had briefly agreed to a limited pause in strikes on energy infrastructure under a U.S. proposal, a pause Moscow later said had expired; U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff described recent diplomacy with Russian counterparts as constructive, writing on X that “we are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for @POTUS’s critical leadership in seeking a durable and lasting peace.”

Officials cautioned that reported weapon counts and impact tallies remain being reconciled. Repair crews mobilized through the morning to restore power and clear rail lines, while hospitals treated the wounded and emergency services continued search and rescue at damaged residential sites.