In brief
Late on September 30, Russian forces carried out the biggest strike on Ukraine’s energy grid since spring, hitting Kyiv and outlying regions including the Trypilska power station and multiple civilian facilities. At least five people, one a child, were killed during the overnight attack, and power outages affected up to 8,000 homes. Ukrainian officials said the bombardment was the largest of the winter campaign so far and that several key electricity plants suffered damage. Energy companies and grid operators warned residents to limit appliance use as supplies remained low. The assault underscores the war’s continued focus on crippling civilian infrastructure.
Russia launches the largest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since spring.
In a night of explosions, Russian forces struck Kyiv and several surrounding regions, targeting the Trypilska thermal power plant and other civilian sites. The assault killed at least five people, including a child in the Kyiv region, and left hundreds of houses without electricity as Ukraine’s biggest private energy firm, DTEK, said it had restored power to 8,000 homes after a “difficult night.”
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi warned that since the summer there had been no day free from attacks on the energy grid, but the scale of this bombardment was unprecedented since the end of the heating season. All eleven of Ukraine’s regions were hit overnight, striking residential buildings, social infrastructure, civilian enterprises and railways.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed strikes on critical infrastructure in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions. Ukraine’s energy ministry said households in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv remained without power on Wednesday.
State‑owned grid operator Ukrenergo advised residents to avoid heavy‑use electrical appliances between 10.00 and 16.00 local time as supply levels were below normal.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed the attack had struck multiple targets, including the Trypilska plant that supplied electricity to Ukrainian defence installations. Ukrainian officials were assessing the damage, while the Russian military said it had intercepted over 380 Ukrainian drones overnight, including ones over Moscow.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military declared it had struck a Russian drone warehouse in occupied Donetsk and was reclaiming settlements near Lyman in Donetsk as part of a counter‑offensive. The front line continues to stagnate, with gains remaining limited on both sides.
