World
Russia launches largest strike on Ukraine’s energy grid since spring
Overnight missile and drone attacks killed at least five people, damaged Kyiv’s main thermal plant and left households across several regions without power.
Published: September 30, 2026 · Updated: September 30, 2026 · 1 min read
Russia carried out its largest combined assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the end of last winter’s heating season, Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said Wednesday, as overnight missile and drone strikes killed at least five people and disrupted electricity across multiple regions.
Kyiv and the surrounding oblast bore the brunt of the barrage. City officials reported three deaths in the capital, while regional authorities said a child was killed when a house collapsed in Kyiv region. Further fatalities were reported in Mykolaiv and Sumy. Ukraine’s largest private utility, DTEK, said power had been restored to about 8,000 homes after what it called a difficult night for the capital.
Russia’s defence ministry said targets included the Trypilska thermal power plant, roughly 40 kilometres from Kyiv and a major supplier of electricity to the capital. Operator Centrenergo confirmed damage and said it was assessing the scale. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said critical infrastructure was also hit in Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne. On Wednesday, households in parts of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions remained without power, Ukraine’s energy ministry said, and grid operator Ukrenergo urged residents to limit heavy appliance use midday.
The assault fits a pattern Ukraine has braced for each autumn since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022: mass strikes intended to degrade heating and electricity ahead of winter. Koretskyi said nearly every day this summer saw some attack on energy assets, but nothing on this scale since spring. Moscow currently controls about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.
Sources: Russia launches largest attack on Ukraine energy infrastructure since spring — BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckjw5jx2l393o | Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Kyiv region kill four, target power grid — Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/russian-attacks-on-ukraines-kyiv-region-kill-four-target-power-grid | Russia launches major attack on Ukraine's energy grid as winter looms — ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-01/russia-hits-ukrainian-energy-grid/107214710
Sources
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