Russian more than six hundred thousand people in the Kyiv region of Ukraine were without electricity on Saturday morning following an extended series of overnight Russian strikes. According to Ukraines energy ministry, over five hundred thousand of the affected residents were in the capital, while the remainder lived in surrounding districts. Officials reported that the widespread outages were caused by missiles and drones aimed at energy facilities in the city as well as in several other regions. Authorities said Russian forces launched around thirty six missiles and nearly six hundred drones across the country during the night. These Russian strikes resulted in the deaths of three people and left many others injured. The intensity of these attacks has increased in recent weeks, as Russia continues to target Ukrainian civilian areas and essential energy systems while the country prepares for the challenges of winter. This escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts led by the United States to create momentum toward a possible peace agreement. Russias defense ministry stated that it had carried out what it described as a massive assault on what it claimed were Ukrainian military production centers and the energy services supporting them. In response to the overnight destruction, Dtek Energy, which supplies power to large parts of Kyiv, announced on Saturday that electricity had already been restored to more than three hundred sixty thousand households.
Over 600,000 Ukrainians Face Blackouts After New Wave of Russian Strikes
Alongside damage to energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials confirmed that several residential buildings were struck during the latest wave of Russian strikes. Loud blasts echoed across Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, and emergency teams were later observed responding to burning apartment blocks and rescuing injured residents. The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, reported that twenty nine people were hurt in the capital, including a thirteen year old child. Ukraines Air Force said it managed to shoot down five hundred fifty eight drones and nineteen missiles during the assault. Kyiv and many other cities have faced repeated aerial attacks since the beginning of Russias full scale invasion in February twenty twenty two. These repeated Russian strikes have forced many Ukrainians to endure frequent outages during previous winters, as Moscow repeatedly targeted power grids. Temperatures in Kyiv are expected to drop to around two degrees Celsius on Sunday, and the capital usually experiences weather well below freezing throughout December. Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to hit Russian energy targets, including oil refining facilities and storage areas, using long range weapons capable of reaching deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian officials argue these operations are meant to restrict Moscows income from energy exports, which help finance its war effort. On Saturday, Ukraines security service announced that it had struck two oil tankers in the Black Sea that were believed to be part of Russias so called shadow fleet used to evade international sanctions.
Footage published by the agency appeared to show a sea drone moving toward one of the vessels, followed by images of flames and thick smoke rising from the ship. The latest round of Russian strikes occurred as Ukrainian negotiators prepared to meet United States officials for discussions on a developing peace proposal. President Donald Trump has urged both sides to consider a draft agreement that initially favored Russian demands but was later adjusted during talks held in Geneva with Ukrainian and European representatives. President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the attempt at diplomacy but emphasized that Ukraine must preserve its sovereignty and maintain the ability to defend itself against future aggression. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated his conditions for ending the conflict, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories claimed by Moscow. Russian forces control much of the eastern Donbas region as well as parts of the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, while Western allies have continued to support freezing the conflict along the current front. Putin also confirmed that a United States delegation, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, is expected to arrive in Moscow early next week to continue discussions regarding the proposed peace plan.
source:BBC
