Russian missile and drone strikes hit multiple regions across Ukraine this week, targeting energy and military facilities as winter conditions intensify and diplomatic efforts remain inconclusive. The attacks came amid renewed discussion of U.S.-led peace initiatives, highlighting the gap between negotiations and realities on the battlefield.
Moscow has repeatedly framed energy infrastructure as a legitimate military objective, arguing that Ukraine’s power grid supports logistics, industry, and defense operations. Ukrainian authorities dispute this characterization, pointing to civilian disruption and casualties.
Ukrainian officials reported at least three deaths, including a four-year-old child in the Zhytomyr region, with additional fatalities in Khmelnytskyi and near Kyiv. Local authorities said at least five people were wounded around the capital.
Emergency power cuts were imposed nationwide following damage to substations and generation facilities. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said western regions such as Rivne, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi experienced near-total outages, while facilities in Chernihiv, Lviv, and Odesa were also affected. Private energy provider DTEK confirmed damage to one of its thermal power plants.
Poland said Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled after Russian strikes hit areas near the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s defence ministry said it had struck Ukrainian energy and military facilities and claimed territorial gains along the front line, which Kyiv often disputes.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles overnight, most of which were intercepted.
Ukraine also carried out drone attacks inside Russia, sparking fires at industrial and energy facilities in Stavropol and Krasnodar regions, according to Russian officials.
Both sides continue to target energy infrastructure as pressure mounts around peace negotiations.
Russia has demanded territorial concessions and limits on Ukraine’s military, conditions Ukrainian leaders have rejected.
Poland said it scrambled Polish and allied aircraft after Russian strikes approached areas near the Ukrainian border, reflecting wider regional sensitivity to the conflict’s proximity.
Ukraine also carried out drone attacks inside Russian territory, according to Russian officials, triggering fires at industrial and energy facilities in the Stavropol and Krasnodar regions. Kyiv has increasingly acknowledged cross-border strikes as part of its effort to pressure Russian logistics and industry, even as Moscow warns that such attacks widen the conflict’s scope.
Both sides continue to target energy infrastructure as leverage ahead of any potential settlement. Russia has reiterated demands for territorial recognition and limits on Ukraine’s military capabilities, while Ukrainian leaders have rejected these conditions, insisting on full territorial restoration.
The persistence of winter strikes underscores how military pressure, rather than compromise, remains the dominant currency of the conflict, even as diplomatic channels formally remain open.