Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged maximum pressure on Russia after Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles overnight. The attacks targeted Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy called the strikes terror-driven and aimed at civilians during record cold.
Ukraine’s air force reported 71 missiles and 450 drones were launched. Ukrainian forces shot down 38 missiles and 412 drones. Twenty-seven missiles and 31 drones hit 27 locations, damaging thermal power plants, residential buildings, and energy facilities.
Read more: Ukrainian drone strike kills two in Russia
The strike affected Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Vinnytsia. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the targets were not military but civilian. Ukraine’s largest energy firm, DTEK, reported “significant” damage, marking the ninth attack on its thermal power plants since October 2025.
The attacks came ahead of a new round of U.S.-Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy criticized Russia for stockpiling missiles during a temporary pause and targeting civilians instead of diplomacy. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called the strikes evidence of Moscow’s lack of seriousness about peace.
Read more: Russian strikes kill three, wound several in Ukraine
Ukraine implemented emergency power outages across multiple regions. Temperatures dropped as low as -14 F, intensifying the impact. Ukrainian forces struck Russian-held targets overnight, including drone sites and electronic warfare centers, as both sides continue the ongoing conflict.