Russian strikes plunge Kyiv into darkness amid energy attacks
Russian drones and missiles targeted Ukrainian energy facilities early Friday, leaving large parts of Kyiv without power and water while halting metro services. The assault affected nine regions, with over a million households temporarily losing electricity. A seven-year-old was killed in southeastern Ukraine, and residents faced severe disruptions as winter approaches.
In the early hours of Friday, Russian forces launched a mass attack using drones and missiles against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging thousands in Kyiv into darkness. The strikes cut power and water supplies to homes and halted a key metro link across the Dnipro River, which divides the capital. Electricity was interrupted in nine regions, impacting over a million households and businesses nationwide.
Casualties included a seven-year-old boy killed when his home was hit in southeastern Ukraine, with at least 20 people injured. In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city center was damaged by a projectile. On the left bank of the Dnipro, crowds gathered at bus stops as the metro stopped operating, and residents filled water bottles at distribution points. "We didn’t sleep at all," said Liuba, a pensioner collecting water. "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 reported over 800,000 customers in Kyiv temporarily lost power, with more than 250,000 still disconnected late Friday. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the assault as one of the heaviest concentrated strikes on energy infrastructure, causing significant damage. Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, noted two million customers in Kyiv faced water supply issues. Ukrainian firm DTEK confirmed significant damage to its thermal power plants.
As the full-scale war nears its fourth anniversary, Ukrainians brace for a tough winter. Russia has intensified attacks on power plants and gas facilities in recent weeks, overwhelming local repair efforts. "They can’t demonstrate anything real on the battlefield… so they will attack our energy sector," President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv. He called for air-defense protection for Ukraine's 203 main energy facilities and met with G7 ambassadors and energy company representatives to discuss allied support. "The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal," Zelensky added.
Ukraine's air force downed 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles, though stretched defenses struggled against the barrage. Zelensky claimed Russia timed the attack for bad weather, reducing air-defense efficiency by 20% to 30%. Russia stated the strikes responded to Ukrainian attacks on its civilian facilities, while Kyiv conducts smaller drone strikes on Russian military and oil targets to push for peace negotiations.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk noted the attack marked three years since Russia's first large-scale strike on Ukraine's power grid. "Today, Russia continues to use cold and darkness as instruments of terror," she said on Facebook. For residents like 23-year-old student Anatoliy, the day began with outages and transport chaos: "We had no power or water when I left my house. I can’t get to work because subway is not operating and buses are overflowing." He added, "I’m hoping for the best but I don’t even know how to reach the other bank (of the Dnipro)," after sheltering in his hallway during explosions.