Russian Strikes Leave Over 600,000 Without Power in Kyiv Region

Russian Strikes Leave Over 600,000 Without Power in Kyiv Region

More than 600,000 residents across Ukraine’s Kyiv region were left without electricity early Saturday following a large-scale overnight attack by Russian forces. According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, over 500,000 of those affected lived in the capital with the remaining outages spread across surrounding districts.

Officials reported that the widespread blackouts were caused by coordinated missile and drone strikes targeting key energy facilities in Kyiv and several other regions. In total, Russia launched 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones resulting in three deaths and dozens of injuries.

     Intensified Attacks as Winter Approaches

According to AOL Russia has escalated its strikes on Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure as winter draws closer, despite international efforts—led by the United States—to push for a peace agreement.

Russia’s defense ministry described the overnight assault as “a massive strike against Ukrainian military-industrial complexes and their supporting energy facilities.”

By Saturday afternoon, DTEK Energy, the main power provider for Kyiv, announced that electricity had been restored to more than 360,000 households though many areas remained offline.

    Residential Areas Hit, Dozens Injured

Alongside energy facilities, several residential buildings were struck. Loud explosions echoed across Kyiv early Saturday, followed by scenes of emergency responders battling fires and rescuing residents from damaged apartment blocks.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that 29 people were injured, including a 13-year-old child.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported successfully intercepting 558 drones and 19 missiles, though several projectiles still reached their targets.

      Blackouts Return as Temperatures Drop

According to BBC Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Kyiv has endured repeated waves of aerial attacks and regular winter blackouts. With temperatures expected to drop to 2°C on Sunday and typically staying below freezing throughout December—energy disruptions pose a growing challenge for civilians.

     Ukraine Strikes Back at Russian Energy Assets

In response, Ukraine has conducted its own long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries, fuel depots, and shipping aiming to reduce Moscow’s revenue from energy exports.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s security services announced they had hit two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” used to evade sanctions. Video footage released by officials showed a maritime drone approaching a tanker, followed by flames and thick smoke rising from the vessel.

    Peace Negotiations Continue Amid Escalation

The latest wave of strikes coincided with preparations for talks between Ukrainian officials and U.S. negotiators. President Donald Trump has been pushing a draft peace plan—initially more favorable to Russia but reportedly revised after discussions with Ukrainian and European representatives in Geneva.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed openness to diplomacy but emphasized the need to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and future security.

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin reiterated Russia’s terms for ending the conflict, insisting Ukraine must withdraw from all territories claimed by Moscow. Russian forces currently control most of the Donbas region and parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

The United States and European partners, meanwhile, have signaled support for freezing the conflict along existing frontlines.

Putin also confirmed that a U.S. delegation—led by special envoy Steve Witkoff—will arrive in Moscow in the coming days to continue discussions on the proposed peace plan.