A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack damaged power facilities in eight Ukrainian regions on Saturday, causing blackouts, forcing nuclear plants to cut output and disrupting rail services, according to Ukrainian authorities and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Russia has intensified its campaign against Ukraine's critical infrastructure as winter deepens and the war approaches its fourth anniversary, according to multiple reports based on Ukrainian and international officials.
Overnight into Saturday, the Ukrainian military said Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles at targets across the country. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 585 drones and 30 missiles, the military said. These figures were reported by Reuters and republished by several outlets.
Power and heat generation facilities in the Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk regions were among the targets, Ukraine's Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories said on Telegram, according to Reuters. Officials said that in the southern Odesa region, about 9,500 customers were left without heat and 34,000 without water. Port facilities in Odesa were also attacked, with part of the infrastructure de-energised and operators switching to backup generators, the ministry added. Ukraine's energy ministry said emergency repair work was under way where safety conditions allowed and that energy companies were working to restore supplies as quickly as possible.
Ukraine operates three nuclear power plants, which together produce more than half of the country's electricity. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the plants reduced output because of "widespread military activities overnight," Reuters reported. The agency did not report any direct damage to the nuclear facilities but noted the broader impact of the strikes on the grid.
Rail infrastructure was also hit. Among the sites struck overnight was a railway hub in the town of Fastiv near Kyiv, where a depot and railway carriages were damaged, Ukrainian state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said on Telegram. The company reported no casualties from the attack but said it was forced to cancel several suburban trains near the capital and in the northeastern city of Chernihiv, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes in a post on X, cited by Reuters: "Russia continues to disregard any peace efforts and instead strikes critical civilian infrastructure, including our energy system and railways." He added: "This shows that no decisions to strengthen Ukraine and raise pressure on Russia can be delayed. And especially not under the pretext of peace process."
Russia's Defence Ministry described the operation as a "massive strike" carried out overnight in response to what it called Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets. It said its forces used high-precision, long-range air- and ground-launched weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range drones. According to the ministry's statement, reported by Reuters, the targets included military-industrial enterprises, energy facilities supporting their operations, and port infrastructure used for military purposes.
The latest assault came as there was no breakthrough in U.S.-brokered talks during the week aimed at ending the conflict, Reuters reported, underlining the lack of diplomatic progress as the war drags on.
The regional fallout extended beyond Ukraine's borders. In Lubartow in Poland's eastern Lublin region, air raid sirens sounded early on Saturday, private broadcaster RMF FM reported, quoting local mayor Krzysztof Pasnik as saying the alert was linked to the situation in Ukraine. Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces said Polish jets were scrambled overnight in response to the Russian attacks on Ukraine, but that no violations of Polish airspace were recorded, according to Reuters.
