Russian Drone, Missile Strikes Hit Residential, Energy Sites in Ukraine, Kill 4
At least four people have been killed after Russian drone and missile strikes hit residential and energy facilities across Ukraine early on Saturday. Ukrainian authorities said the attacks included a drone strike on a nine-story apartment building in Dnipro, where three residents were killed and several apartments destroyed. Another person, identified as an energy sector employee, was killed in Kharkiv.
The assault formed part of a large-scale barrage targeting power infrastructure nationwide. Officials reported that 12 people were injured in the strikes, including two children in Dnipro. Emergency crews recovered bodies from the rubble and continued search efforts as fires broke out in the damaged building.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched 458 drones and 45 missiles, including 32 ballistic missiles, during the overnight attack. Ukrainian defense systems intercepted 406 drones and nine missiles, but 25 locations were hit. Authorities temporarily cut electricity in several regions to reduce further damage to the grid.
The strikes come as intense fighting continues near the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk, where both Russia and Ukraine are seeking to demonstrate battlefield momentum. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said preparations were underway for a possible nuclear test, following comments from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Washington’s own testing posture.
Russia and Ukraine have increasingly targeted each other’s energy networks. Kyiv has used long-range drones to strike Russian oil refineries in an effort to limit Moscow’s wartime revenue. Russia, in turn, has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, which officials say is part of a strategy to deprive civilians of heat, electricity and water during winter.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said major power facilities in Kharkiv, Kyiv and the central Poltava region were damaged. Several thermal plants operated by state company Centrenergo have again been knocked offline after previously being restored from earlier strikes.
Russian regional authorities also reported Ukrainian drone attacks. In the Volgograd region, power outages were recorded after a “massive” strike on energy sites, while two people were wounded in Saratov when a drone blast shattered windows in an apartment building.
As the conflict nears its fourth year, diplomatic efforts led by the United States and European partners have not shifted conditions on the battlefield, with both sides continuing daily strikes amid deepening energy and humanitarian concerns.
