Russian strikes knock out power and water in Kyiv and across Ukraine

Large parts of Kyiv were plunged into darkness early Friday as Russian missiles and drones battered Ukraine’s energy grid, cutting off power and water to over a million homes and crippling transport links across the capital.

Ukraine woke to another night of terror as Russian forces launched a fresh wave of strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure. The attacks, among the heaviest in weeks, left large areas of Kyiv and nine other regions without power, days after officials warned Moscow was escalating pressure ahead of winter.

In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old boy was killed when his home was hit, while at least 20 others were injured. In central Kyiv, debris damaged an apartment block, and on the left bank of the Dnipro River, crowds gathered at bus stops and water stations after metro services were suspended.

Ukraine’s energy ministry said over 800,000 customers in Kyiv alone lost power at some point overnight. Nationally, more than one million households and businesses were temporarily cut off as emergency crews worked to restore supply.

The latest barrage follows repeated Russian efforts to cripple Ukraine’s power grid, a campaign that has intensified as temperatures drop and energy demand rises. Authorities have warned of rolling blackouts through the winter as they race to repair substations and rebuild stockpiles of equipment destroyed by months of bombardment.

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