Kyiv: Russian ballistic missiles struck energy facilities in Kyiv overnight and into Wednesday morning, killing at least one person and injuring another, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said — a fresh wave of attacks on Ukraine's power grid that came days after US President Donald Trump announced what he described as an "energy ceasefire".
The attack was still ongoing during the morning hours, Klitschko said. Reuters witnesses heard multiple explosions across the Ukrainian capital as air defences repelled the overnight attacks. The fresh strikes follow a sustained Russian campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure as temperatures begin to cool ahead of the heating season.
A weekend truce claim, then strikes
The attacks follow a Tuesday-night barrage in which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hit Kyiv with ballistic missiles, with the main target being energy infrastructure — specifically thermal plant No. 4. A strike on a high-rise apartment building in that attack killed one person, Klitschko said.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received no advance warning of the strikes from its Western partners, as it typically does. "The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound to abide by what the president of the United States said," Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump's weekend announcement of the energy ceasefire. He added that Ukrainian intelligence showed Russia was preparing further ballistic missile launches.
Strikes on both sides
Ukraine had previously offered to halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow ceased its own strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. In Russia, drones killed one person and damaged houses in the Volga River town of Balakovo, a regional governor said on Telegram.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Sources: Reuters: Russian strikes kill one, hit energy facilities in Kyiv, mayor says, Reuters: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills one
The attack was still ongoing during the morning hours, Klitschko said. Reuters witnesses heard multiple explosions across the Ukrainian capital as air defences repelled the overnight attacks. The fresh strikes follow a sustained Russian campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure as temperatures begin to cool ahead of the heating season.
A weekend truce claim, then strikes
The attacks follow a Tuesday-night barrage in which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces hit Kyiv with ballistic missiles, with the main target being energy infrastructure — specifically thermal plant No. 4. A strike on a high-rise apartment building in that attack killed one person, Klitschko said.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received no advance warning of the strikes from its Western partners, as it typically does. "The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound to abide by what the president of the United States said," Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump's weekend announcement of the energy ceasefire. He added that Ukrainian intelligence showed Russia was preparing further ballistic missile launches.
Strikes on both sides
Ukraine had previously offered to halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow ceased its own strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. In Russia, drones killed one person and damaged houses in the Volga River town of Balakovo, a regional governor said on Telegram.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Sources: Reuters: Russian strikes kill one, hit energy facilities in Kyiv, mayor says, Reuters: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills one
