Russia strikes Ukraine's power grid as seven killed in biggest energy attack in months
Russia launched a major air campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, killing seven people and forcing emergency power cuts in Kyiv. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy announced territorial gains in a counteroffensive near Lyman.
Russia carried out a large-scale air assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking power facilities in Kyiv and several surrounding regions. Ukrainian officials confirmed seven deaths, including a child. The attack is being described as the heaviest combined strike on the energy system in months, following days of intensifying drone barrages that had primarily targeted the capital.
State grid operator Ukrenergo said the attack forced it to impose emergency power cuts in Kyiv and three neighbouring regions — the first such measure in the capital since spring. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi wrote on X that Russia had escalated to massive strikes on energy infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said critical infrastructure was hit in five regions, with further damage reported in five more. Forecasters expect freezing night temperatures in Kyiv in the coming days, making energy losses especially dangerous ahead of winter.
Gains near Lyman
Zelenskyy visited a military command post near the eastern frontline town of Lyman, announcing that Ukrainian forces had recaptured 176 sq km since launching a counteroffensive there. He called it a significant operation for overall defence and specifically for the Donbas region, saying it had stopped Russian forces from breaking through rear defensive lines near Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, part of a network of so-called fortress cities.
Other developments
Ukraine is pressing the United States to sanction Russian entities involved in developing the Rassvet satellite network, a planned domestic alternative to Starlink. Ukrainian diplomat Denys Sienik in Washington warned that the network, due to start operating in 2027, would pose serious risks if left unsanctioned.
Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi held three days of talks with Russian officials on humanitarian issues and visited Ukrainian prisoners of war. The talks coincided with an appeal from Pope Leo for both sides to negotiate an end to the nearly four-and-a-half-year war.
