Russia launches 300 drones, missiles at Ukraine power grid; 4 dead in Kharkiv | WATCH
Kyiv: Russia on Tuesday unleashed its second massive aerial assault in four days, targeting Ukraine’s fragile power grid with nearly 300 drones and dozens of missiles as the war nears its fourth year.
The overnight bombardment, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said spanned eight regions, appeared to rebuff U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to broker a peace deal. The barrage included approximately 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and seven cruise missiles.
The strikes proved deadly in the northeast, where a hit on a mail depot in Kharkiv killed four people and wounded 10 others. In the capital, where temperatures plummeted to -12°C, hundreds of thousands of households were left without electricity. Icy streets were filled with the roar of emergency generators as the city struggled to maintain heat and water services.
The assault follows a similar large-scale attack four days earlier, during which Moscow deployed the experimental Oreshnik hypersonic missile for only the second time in the conflict. Western analysts viewed the use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik in western Ukraine as a deliberate warning to NATO allies.
Diplomatic Fallout
The escalation coincides with a push by the Trump administration to advance peace negotiations. On Monday, the United States condemned Russia's actions during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
Tammy Bruce, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N., characterised the intensifying strikes on civilian infrastructure as a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation.” She noted that Washington deplores “the staggering number of casualties” and accused Moscow of “weaponising winter” to break Ukrainian resolve.
Zelenskyy reiterated calls for his Western partners to accelerate the delivery of promised air defence systems to counter what he termed Russia's "onslaught."
Odesa and Southern Front
In the port city of Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper reported that six people were injured in a two-wave attack. The strikes damaged a hospital, a kindergarten, and several residential buildings, further straining the city’s energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian Retaliation
While Russia struck deep into Ukraine, Kyiv launched its own long-range drone attacks. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed to have intercepted 11 Ukrainian drones overnight, including seven over the Rostov region.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that domestically-produced drones successfully struck the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog, approximately 40 kilometres from the border. The facility is a key manufacturing and testing site for Russia’s Molniya and Orion unmanned aerial vehicles. Explosions and fires were reported at the plant, which Ukraine says will diminish Moscow’s reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
With inputs from AP