Massive Russian Air Attack on Ukraine Kills Seven; Causes Power Outages

Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine overnight into Monday.

In what is being dubbed as the largest air assault since the full-scale war began over two-and-a-half years ago, at least 15 regions came under attack including Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Volyn, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv.

The strikes, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned as targeting civilians, claimed seven lives and caused widespread power outages in several cities.

More than 100 missiles and around 100 drones, including “Shahed” drones, were reportedly involved in the assault, Zelensky said. The Ukrainian government said at least 47 people were injured, including four children.

“We continue to eliminate the consequences at the facilities themselves, repair and de-mine,” Zelensky said in a statement on his Telegram channel. He noted that repair crews were working to restore damaged power infrastructure across the country.

The attack, across the country from the eastern region of Kharkiv to Kyiv and Odesa, was described by Zelensky as another example of Russian forces deliberately targeting critical civilian infrastructure. In addition to energy facilities, he noted that cluster munitions were used in some areas.

Ukraine's air force was able to intercept and shoot down 102 missiles and 99 attack drones, according to Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk. Despite these efforts, several missiles and drones reached their targets.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also addressed the situation, explaining that Russia employed a variety of weaponry, including drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Emergency power cuts were implemented across the country as Ukraine’s national energy company, Ukrenergo, scrambled to stabilize the grid. Cities such as Kyiv and Dnipro experienced long power outages.

In the ongoing war, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. After Monday’s attack, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko confirmed that the energy sector remained a key target and that the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.

In Kyiv, the head of the city’s military administration urged residents to stay in shelters as air defenses worked to protect the capital. Meanwhile, in Kharkiv, emergency services were dispatched to several undisclosed sites hit by the strikes.

The Ukrainian government had been preparing for a major attack for weeks, particularly in response to Kyiv’s recent surprise assault in Russia’s Kursk region, marking the most significant invasion of Russian territory since World War II. Last week, just ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day, the US Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning of increased risks of Russian drone and missile attacks.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that it had launched what it called “a massive strike with long-range precision air and sea-based weapons” against Ukraine’s power grid and rail lines. According to the ministry, the attack disrupted the transport of weapons and ammunition to the frontlines. 

“All designated targets were hit,” the ministry said in a statement issued on its Telegram channel.