Overnight, the Russian attack cut off power supply to more than 600,000 residents in the Kiev region of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said more than 500,000 of these were in the capital itself and the rest in surrounding areas. The loss of power is due to missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure in the city and many other areas.
Officials said about 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones were launched at targets across Ukraine overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens more.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure as the country faces winter despite U.S.-led efforts to reach a peace deal.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had launched “large-scale attacks against enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and energy facilities supporting their operations.”
Dtek Energy, which services Kiev’s properties, said late Saturday that power had been restored to more than 360,000 homes.
Ukrainian officials said the strike damaged several residential buildings as well as energy infrastructure.
Early Saturday morning, loud explosions were heard throughout Kiev. Emergency services were later seen attending a burning block of flats damaged by a successful strike.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said a 13-year-old child was among the 29 people injured in the city.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 558 drones and 19 missiles.
The Ukrainian capital is one of several cities that have come under regular airstrikes since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Many Ukrainians also suffered regular power outages as Moscow targeted their energy infrastructure last winter.
On Sunday, Kiev’s average temperature for December is expected to drop to -2 degrees Celsius.
Ukraine has specifically targeted Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and warehouses, using long-range weapons that can probe deep inside Russia. They say this is aimed at curbing imports of Russia’s main exports to Moscow’s war effort.
The bombing occurred as Ukrainian negotiators prepared for talks with U.S. officials this weekend.
US President Donald Trump is pressuring both sides to accept a draft peace plan that initially heavily favors Russia but has since been revised during talks with Ukraine and European allies in Geneva.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the diplomatic efforts and stressed that Kiev needs to maintain its sovereignty and have the ability to defend against future attacks.
On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin reiterated his core demand for an end to the war, saying Russia would stop its offensive only if Ukrainian troops withdraw from territory claimed by Moscow.
Russian forces currently control most (but not all) of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region and parts of southern Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. The United States and its European allies have called for a freeze on the war along current front lines.
Putin also confirmed that a US delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to discuss a draft peace plan in Moscow in the first half of next week.
