Russian rockets and drones hit Ukraine’s energy network, causing major power outages

Power outages spread across large parts of Ukraine after a wave of Russian strikes on the country’s energy and transport infrastructure during the night into Saturday, authorities said. Repairs are under way but have been complicated by continuing air-raid alerts.

The Ministry of Energy reported that residents in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions were cut off from the electricity grid. Repair crews were dispatched across the affected areas to restore supply.

The ministry added that "the ongoing air-raid alerts" were hampering the restoration work. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the blackout also affected district heating and water services in the capital, which has about three million residents.

Damage to Kyiv's Northern Bridge

The Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv — a key link between the city's western districts and the eastern suburbs — was damaged and temporarily closed to traffic. Klitschko posted a short video showing damage to the carriageway and protective barriers and said contact wires for trolleybuses had been torn down; repair work has already begun.

President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault as a "combined" attack on Ukraine's energy system and said Russian forces used 36 rockets and more than 170 drones in the strikes. Authorities reported at least nine people were injured, including a child.

Zelensky wrote on social media: "Russia is preparing for the trilateral talks by striking critical infrastructure with ballistic missiles." New trilateral discussions on ending the war mediated by the United States are due to take place next Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, but officials described the prospects for progress as limited. On Friday Zelensky had warned of further Russian strikes and again urged Western partners for additional interceptor missiles for the Patriot air-defence system.

Photo: press material from the event