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Six killed in Russia's overnight missile and drone barrage on Ukraine
At least six civilians were killed and dozens wounded after Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure and residential areas with hundreds of missiles and drones. Strikes hit 25 locations nationwide, including Kyiv, leaving widespread power outages as winter approaches.
Civilian casualties and infrastructure damage
A direct strike on an apartment building in Dnipro killed two people and injured 12, while three others died in Zaporizhzhia. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed via Telegram that critical energy facilities in the Poltava, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions sustained severe damage, with emergency crews working to restore electricity and heating.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported blackouts in the Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa, and Kirovohrad regions, though partial service has been restored using backup generators. Svyrydenko emphasized that water supplies remain operational despite the attacks.
Scale of the assault and Ukrainian defenses
The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia deployed over 450 exploding drones and 45 missiles in the barrage. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 9 missiles and 406 drones, according to military reports. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed 79 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Strategic context and sanctions debate
Analysts note that Russia's repeated strikes on energy infrastructure ahead of winter-now in the fourth year of full-scale invasion-aim to cripple Ukraine's economy and civilian morale. The latest attacks followed the U.S. granting Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas purchases, announced during Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's visit to Washington.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the exemption, arguing in a Telegram post that such loopholes enable Russia to fund further attacks. He urged the U.S., Europe, and the G7 to close all sanctions gaps on Russian energy, stating:
"For every Moscow strike on energy infrastructure-aimed at harming ordinary people before winter-there must be a sanctions response targeting all Russian energy, with no exceptions."
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Broader implications
The timing of the strikes underscores the link between sanctions enforcement and Ukraine's defensive resilience. With winter setting in, officials in Kyiv warn that sustained energy attacks could paralyze civilian life and economic activity, testing Ukraine's ability to endure a fourth wartime winter.
