The upper floors of a multi-story building burn after debris from a Russian drone fell in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 3, 2026. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Just days after a temporary halt in attacks on critical infrastructure, Russia resumed massive strikes on Ukrainian energy sites early Tuesday, dealing what Ukrainian officials called one of the most severe blows to the country’s power grid this year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the bombardment as a deliberate violation of a truce agreed weeks earlier, saying Russian forces used the pause to stockpile weapons and launch a much larger attack amid temperatures plunging below -20°C (-4°F) in many regions.
The assault involved a barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles, targeting thermal power plants and energy infrastructure across at least five regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Vinnytsia. Ukrainian air defence systems reportedly intercepted dozens of aerial threats, but the scale of the attack overwhelmed defences in several areas.
The strikes left more than 1,000 residential buildings in Kyiv without heating and caused widespread power outages, forcing residents to seek shelter from the freezing cold and taxing emergency services already strained by months of conflict.
Authorities reported multiple injuries from falling debris and infrastructure damage, and city officials said restoration efforts would be hampered by subzero conditions that complicate repair work.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow of weaponising winter conditions to break Ukrainian civilian morale and called on Western allies for further assistance, particularly air defence systems such as Patriot batteries, which Kyiv says are essential to repelling large-scale aerial assaults.
The renewed strikes came just ahead of planned peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. representatives were scheduled to resume talks aimed at reducing hostilities. Analysts say the timing undermines diplomatic progress and highlights the fragility of informal truces.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, visiting Kyiv, expressed solidarity with Ukraine and criticised the resumption of strikes, emphasising the need for sustained international support to counter large-scale attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Energy companies including DTEK confirmed extensive damage to power facilities, prompting emergency measures to prioritise electricity distribution and protect vulnerable populations. Local officials said some infrastructure may take weeks to fully restore given the scale of damage and ongoing security risks.
Russian authorities have claimed the strikes are a response to Ukrainian military actions, though Moscow has not provided independent verification of that narrative. Nonetheless, the attacks mark a stark escalation in a campaign aimed at weakening Ukraine’s energy resilience and civilian infrastructure as the war nears its fourth year.
