Russia attacks Ukraine with hundreds of drones, energy infrastructure hit

Russia launched a major overnight assault across Ukraine, deploying hundreds of drones and a missile that struck multiple cities and damaged energy infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday. At least 15 people were reported wounded.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 400 drones and a single ballistic missile, focusing primarily on Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Vinnytsia—cities spread across the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks were aimed at critical energy infrastructure.

Ukraine's largest private energy provider, DTEK, reported that around 80,000 households in Kryvyi Rih and other parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region lost power due to the strikes.

While most drones were intercepted, 57 managed to breach defences, striking 12 targets along with the ballistic missile, the air force said.

Russian drone and missile attacks on urban centres have intensified this summer, with hundreds of drones used in coordinated waves. U.S. President Donald Trump cited these escalating attacks as justification for his recent approval of additional military support for Ukraine, including advanced air defence systems.

“Russia is not changing its strategy. To counter this terror, we need a systemic boost in defences—more air defences, more interceptors, and a stronger response,” Zelenskyy posted on X.

In Vinnytsia, eight people were injured, and a plant owned by the Polish wood flooring manufacturer Barlinek Group was struck. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski described the strike as deliberate and warned that "Putin's criminal war is getting closer to our borders."

In Kryvyi Rih, local military chief Oleksandr Vilkul said the city endured a prolonged assault involving a missile and 28 drones, which disrupted water supplies in some areas. He noted that a 17-year-old boy was critically injured and remains in hospital in serious condition.

In Kharkiv, a city regularly targeted by Russian forces, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported at least 17 explosions during a 20-minute drone barrage that left three people injured.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that air defence systems were activated in the capital, though no casualties or damage were reported there.

Since the start of its full-scale invasion more than three years ago, Russia has killed thousands of civilians in attacks on Ukrainian cities. Moscow continues to justify strikes on infrastructure by claiming such facilities support Ukraine’s military effort. Ukraine also conducts long-range strikes within Russian territory, though on a smaller scale.

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