Russian Strikes Hit Ukraine Power Grid, Killing at Least Four

Russia launched another round of strikes targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure as autumn temperatures dropped, killing at least four people around Kyiv during a night of repeated air-raid alerts.

Kyiv said the attacks were the opening stage of a campaign aimed at disrupting heating and electricity before winter takes hold, a strategy it says Moscow has used repeatedly during the war. The Ukrainian capital faced a barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as high-speed attack drones, with sirens warning residents to move to basement shelters and metro stations.

Deadly Attacks Around Kyiv

At least four people were reported killed in and near Kyiv, including a young child found dead under rubble after a residential building was demolished in the wider region. Authorities also said fires broke out and damage was done to homes and businesses, along with vehicles, after blasts overnight.

In Moscow, Russia’s defence ministry said it carried out a “massive missile and drone strike” on Kyiv and surrounding areas, aimed at the region’s energy system. Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said a driver at a local utility firm died when a warehouse was hit, and that two other people were killed elsewhere.

Power Grid Disrupted, Frost Forecast

Ukraine’s energy company DTEK said the grid had been damaged and supplies to 8,000 households were affected. It said engineers restored power, but warned that the capital faced another difficult night.

Generating equipment at the Trypillia thermal power station near Kyiv was also damaged in a strike, according to Sergiy Isachenko, chief executive of its operator, PJSC Centrenergo.

Ukraine’s weather service said the first overnight frosts were expected in many parts of the country from Thursday. The forecast raised concern that disruption could worsen as temperatures fall. The damage inflicted by Russian strikes last year left households without reliable light and heating when temperatures dropped to about -20C, Ukraine has said.

Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said Russia had been hitting energy infrastructure almost daily since the summer. He added that the large combined scale of Wednesday’s attack was the first of its type since the end of the previous heating season.

Calls For Backup Power, After Court Warnings

Koretsky urged local authorities to verify the readiness of backup power systems for critical facilities and to complete installation and connection work as quickly as possible.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Russia’s then military leaders over attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, stating the attacks amounted to a war crime due to “excessive harm” to civilians.

Residents in Kyiv described the pressure of living through repeated alerts. Some kept watching their phones and scanning Telegram channels and apps that track drones and missiles. A university worker, Tetiana Ivashchuk, said she tried to stay calm, adding that she relied on coffee to cope with the stress.

The Ukrainian defence and energy situation has been complicated by changes in drone tactics. Ukraine has said Russia has been using newer, jet-powered drones that travel faster and are harder to intercept than older models, including those based on Iranian Shaheds.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited frontline troops in the east on Wednesday, and he has continued to press allies for additional support, including US-made interceptors to defend against ballistic missiles. With long-range strikes continuing and peace talks making little progress, fears of further civilian harm remain on both sides.

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30 September 2026