More than one million households across Ukraine were left without electricity after overnight Russian strikes hit energy and industrial infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five regions were affected and at least five people were injured. Emergency crews were deployed to extinguish fires and restore power. The regions hit included Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chernihiv.
Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the start of the war, with attacks intensifying as winter approaches, increasing the risk of prolonged power shortages for civilians.
The strikes came ahead of talks in Germany involving US President Donald Trump’s overseas envoy Steve Witkoff, who is set to meet Ukrainian and European leaders as part of efforts to push forward a potential peace agreement. While the full list of participants has not been officially confirmed, The Wall Street Journal reported that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to attend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 450 drones and over 30 missiles during the overnight assault. Russia’s defence ministry said the strikes included the use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which are considered difficult to intercept because of their speed and ability to change course mid-flight.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all offsite power overnight due to widespread military activity affecting the grid, but was later reconnected. The plant is not operating but relies on external power to cool its reactors.
Meanwhile, in Russia, regional governor Roman Busargin said two people were killed in the Saratov region after a drone strike hit a residential building.
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