Tuesday, 14 October, 2025
Large parts of Kyiv went dark early Friday after Russian drones and missiles struck Ukrainian energy facilities, cutting electricity and water to homes and halting a key metro link across the Dnipro River.
The attack, one of several targeting Ukraine’s energy system as winter approaches, disrupted power in nine regions, leaving over a million households and businesses temporarily without electricity.
In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old was killed when his home was hit, and at least 20 people were injured. In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city centre was damaged, while on the left bank of the Dnipro, residents queued at bus stops with the metro out of service and filled bottles at water distribution points.
"We didn't sleep at all," said Liuba, a pensioner, as she collected water. "From 2:30am there was so much noise. By 3:30 we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing."
According to Ukraine's energy ministry, over 800,000 customers temporarily lost power in Kyiv.
Ukrainians are bracing for a tough winter, as the full-scale war nears its fourth anniversary. Russia has intensified attacks on the energy system in recent weeks, striking power plants and gas production facilities, and local authorities are struggling with the scale of repairs required.
"They can't demonstrate anything real on the battlefield... so they will attack our energy sector," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
Calling for more support from allies, he said that Ukraine's 203 main energy facilities needed air-defence protection.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk met with G7 ambassadors and representatives from Ukraine’s major energy companies to discuss how allies could help protect the country from further attacks and repair the damage.
“The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal,” President Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles in the latest attack, but officials acknowledged that the country’s stretched air defences cannot cope with repeated barrages of this scale.
Zelenskiy added that Russia timed the strike for bad weather, which reduced the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defences by 20 to 30 percent.
Police investigators look at an apartment building that was damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Oct 10, 2025.
Russia’s Strikes Target Ukrainian Energy Facilities
Russia said its overnight attacks were in retaliation for Ukraine’s strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure. Ukraine frequently launches drone attacks on Russian military and oil facilities, usually on a smaller scale, aiming to pressure Moscow into negotiating a peace deal, Kyiv says.
For many residents of Kyiv, Friday began with widespread power outages, water shortages, and transport disruptions. Authorities reported that over 250,000 customers in the capital remained disconnected from the grid late in the day.
“We had no power or water when I left my house. I can’t get to work because the subway isn’t running and buses are overcrowded,” said Anatoliy, 23, a student. “I spent the night in my hallway because of the explosions and now I don’t even know how to reach the other side of the Dnipro.”
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the assault as one of the heaviest concentrated strikes on energy infrastructure in recent years, causing significant damage. Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, said around two million Kyiv residents temporarily faced water supply problems.
Ukrainian energy company DTEK confirmed that several thermal power plants suffered substantial damage, though it did not immediately provide further details.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk noted that the strike came exactly three years after Russia launched its first large-scale attack on Ukraine’s power grid. “Today, Russia continues to use cold and darkness as instruments of terror,” she wrote on Facebook.
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Large parts of Kyiv went dark early Friday after Russian drones and missiles struck Ukrainian energy facilities, cutting electricity and water to homes and halting a key metro link across the Dnipro River.
The attack, one of several targeting Ukraine’s energy system as winter approaches, disrupted power in nine regions, leaving over a million households and businesses temporarily without electricity.
In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old was killed when his home was hit, and at least 20 people were injured. In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city centre was damaged, while on the left bank of the Dnipro, residents queued at bus stops with the metro out of service and filled bottles at water distribution points.
"We didn't sleep at all," said Liuba, a pensioner, as she collected water. "From 2:30am there was so much noise. By 3:30 we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing."
According to Ukraine's energy ministry, over 800,000 customers temporarily lost power in Kyiv.
Ukrainians are bracing for a tough winter, as the full-scale war nears its fourth anniversary. Russia has intensified attacks on the energy system in recent weeks, striking power plants and gas production facilities, and local authorities are struggling with the scale of repairs required.
"They can't demonstrate anything real on the battlefield... so they will attack our energy sector," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
Calling for more support from allies, he said that Ukraine's 203 main energy facilities needed air-defence protection.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk met with G7 ambassadors and representatives from Ukraine’s major energy companies to discuss how allies could help protect the country from further attacks and repair the damage.
“The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal,” President Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles in the latest attack, but officials acknowledged that the country’s stretched air defences cannot cope with repeated barrages of this scale.
Zelenskiy added that Russia timed the strike for bad weather, which reduced the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defences by 20 to 30 percent.
Police investigators look at an apartment building that was damaged during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Oct 10, 2025.
Russia’s Strikes Target Ukrainian Energy Facilities
Russia said its overnight attacks were in retaliation for Ukraine’s strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure. Ukraine frequently launches drone attacks on Russian military and oil facilities, usually on a smaller scale, aiming to pressure Moscow into negotiating a peace deal, Kyiv says.
For many residents of Kyiv, Friday began with widespread power outages, water shortages, and transport disruptions. Authorities reported that over 250,000 customers in the capital remained disconnected from the grid late in the day.
“We had no power or water when I left my house. I can’t get to work because the subway isn’t running and buses are overcrowded,” said Anatoliy, 23, a student. “I spent the night in my hallway because of the explosions and now I don’t even know how to reach the other side of the Dnipro.”
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the assault as one of the heaviest concentrated strikes on energy infrastructure in recent years, causing significant damage. Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, said around two million Kyiv residents temporarily faced water supply problems.
Ukrainian energy company DTEK confirmed that several thermal power plants suffered substantial damage, though it did not immediately provide further details.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk noted that the strike came exactly three years after Russia launched its first large-scale attack on Ukraine’s power grid. “Today, Russia continues to use cold and darkness as instruments of terror,” she wrote on Facebook.
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