In brief
President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that at least 600,000 people in Ukraine are now without electricity after a night of Russian missile and drone strikes jammed critical power infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv. The attacks arrived just days after U.S. President Donald Trump declared an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv suffered casualties and widespread outages, while Russian forces said their strikes targeted communication and energy sites used by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine’s air defence intercepted most of the missiles and drones launched. The incident underscores the growing intensity of the conflict and international backlash to Russia’s energy attacks.
At least 600,000 people across Ukraine are now without electricity after a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Thursday morning.
The attacks destroyed critical power infrastructure in the capital city of Kyiv and its surrounding region, as well as the north‑eastern city of Kharkiv, according to Zelensky’s statement. The strikes came with less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine.
In Kyiv, officials from the state emergencies service DSNS said at least three people were killed and 21 were injured. Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of targeting communications and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian military in both the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.
Ukrainian air defence said that drones and missiles fired by Russia earlier that day were intercepted: 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones were launched, of which four missiles and 115 drones were shot down. Russia’s defence ministry recorded 902 drones shot over Moscow, Crimea and other Russian territories.
Trump’s social‑media post on Sunday warned that "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!" President Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine is prepared to stop striking Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow reciprocates.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the ceasefire prospect, arguing that Ukraine would not benefit from a pause in attacks and that a truce would allow Europe to supply Ukraine with more weapons.
The full‑scale Russian invasion began in 2022, and Moscow continues to hold roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
