Kyiv, Ukraine – Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands of civilians without electricity, heating, and water, intensifying the humanitarian crisis as winter deepens. Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as “deliberate torment” aimed at undermining civilian resilience ahead of the invasion’s fourth anniversary.

“There is absolutely no military rationale in such strikes on the energy sector and infrastructure that leave people without electricity and heating in wintertime,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday.

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Blackouts in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk

Overnight attacks hit the industrialized southeast, cutting off power to nearly one million people in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ukrainian repair crews are racing to restore services:

• In Dnipropetrovsk, nearly 800,000 people remained without electricity early Thursday. Eight mines faced blackouts, but workers were safely evacuated.
• Water supply to Pavlohrad and surrounding areas could take up to a day to repair, according to regional council head Mykola Lukashuk.
• In Zaporizhzhia, power was fully restored Thursday after a total blackout, said Governor Ivan Fedorov, who described the night as “difficult for the region.”

Mobile networks and emergency air alarm systems were also disrupted, leaving civilians more vulnerable to further attacks.

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Scale of Russian Strikes

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 97 drones, downing 70, with 27 drones striking key locations. Officials in Kyiv called the attacks part of Russia’s long-running strategy to target civilian infrastructure, aiming to erode morale and disrupt daily life.

“It’s not only power, but also the emergency alert systems that warn of incoming attacks that have been knocked offline,” said Al Jazeera reporter Audrey MacAlpine from Kyiv.

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Ukraine Responds

In retaliation, Kyiv has targeted Russian oil depots and refineries to disrupt Moscow’s energy exports and create fuel shortages, demonstrating a tit-for-tat energy strategy.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies announced plans for a multinational security presence if a ceasefire is achieved. France and the UK pledged forces to support Kyiv, although negotiations remain complicated by disputes over Donbas territorial control and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

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Russia’s Position

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the plans for foreign troops as forming an “axis of war”, claiming such deployments would be legitimate targets for Russian forces. Russian troops reportedly captured the village of Bratske in Dnipropetrovsk, advancing in the region even without formal claims.

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Summary

The strikes highlight the humanitarian dimension of the war, with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians facing cold and darkness in the middle of winter. While Ukraine works to restore energy and water infrastructure, tensions remain high over military control, security guarantees, and the possibility of foreign troop involvement in the conflict.