Russian forces unleashed the most intense missile barrage on Ukraine so far this year early Tuesday, killing four people and injuring several others, while triggering emergency power cuts in Kyiv due to infrastructure damage, Reuters reported.
Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo imposed emergency blackouts in the capital after what Kyiv’s military administration head, Tymur Tkachenko, described as a short but intense missile attack.
DTEK, a private energy company, reported heavy damage to equipment at one of its thermal power plants from the Russian strikes.
Russia has frequently targeted Ukraine’s power grid with missiles and drones since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022, aiming to disrupt electricity and heating during winter months as Ukrainian defenses struggle against repeated waves.
Ukrainian Telegram monitoring channels reported about 20 ballistic missiles launched within an hour overnight, calling it the most sustained attack of the year. Reuters could not independently verify the figures, and Ukraine’s armed forces did not immediately comment on the full scale. Russia provided no comment on the strikes.
In Kharkiv, near the Russian border and a common target, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people died in a strike on the city’s outskirts, with six others injured.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the Kharkiv attack struck a postal terminal, destroying buildings and igniting fires across about 500 square meters. Rescuers saved 30 people, including two from under rubble.
Larysa Gerasko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to North Macedonia, highlighted the barrage’s scale, stating in Macedonian: “This cold night rf fired at [Ukraine] 25 missiles and 300 drones. Part of the regions are without electricity. Rescue services are working 24 hours a day to remove the consequences of the barbaric strikes of the aggressor state rf, which still occupies a seat in the UN Security Council.” She shared a photo showing rescuers amid the rubble of a destroyed structure in Kharkiv.
In the southern port city of Odesa, five people were injured, with fires reported at an unused building, a fitness center, and a vocational school, the emergency service said.
Two more injuries occurred in Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian attack damaged civilian infrastructure, homes, and gas pipelines, according to the region’s governor.
