Cities across Ukraine were targeted by Russian missiles and drones overnight Friday, resulting in casualties and widespread power outages.
Russia’s latest bombardment included Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Nichita Gurcov, an analyst with ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) told Newsweek that following the collapse of recent Russia-U.S. talks, Moscow is increasing its bombing campaign to disrupt Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure as the winter sets in.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Previous Russian strikes in October wiped out around 60 percent of Ukraine’s gas production sites, and the overnight attacks come as Moscow intensifies attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure to plunge the country into yet another harsh winter.
This comes amid wider Russian attack on cities closer to Ukraine’s front-line regions, signaling that Moscow has no intention of easing up its targeting of infrastructure or agreeing to any ceasefire.
What To Know
Monitoring groups reported that Russia launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, cruise and ballistic missiles across Ukraine. The cities of Kremenchuk, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv were targeted.
Explosions were also heard in Kyiv, the city of Sumy, and Odesa Oblast, while areas in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Poltava oblasts were also hit. Images shared on social media showed the moment of impact as well as the aftermath of the strikes.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said that in Dnipro, a multi-story building was damaged in a drone strike that killed a woman and injured 11 people, including a 13-year-old girl.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said the attacks had targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and there were emergency power outages in several regions.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported energy infrastructure was struck in Odesa Oblast amid the ballistic missile attack. In a statement on social media, it said all of Ukraine could face outages for between six and 18 hours a day.
Gurcov told Newsweek that Moscow was “doubling down on a long-range bombing campaign that seeks to disrupt Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure ahead of the cold.”
ACLED said that last month that Russia had wiped out nearly 60 percent of Ukraine’s natural gas extraction capacity, damaged at least four hydroelectric power plants, targeted transmission and storage infrastructure across western Ukraine, and impacted operations at three nuclear power plants.
Following the collapse of Russia-U.S. talks on Ukraine, Russia is attempting to occupy as much of Ukraine as possible before the onset of adverse weather, Gurcov added.
What People Are Saying
Anton Gerashchenko, former Ukrainian interior ministry advisor, on X: “Massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine tonight. Many Ukrainian regions are under attack. A very large number of Russian ballistic and aeroballistic missiles tonight. The air raid alert continues.”
Nichita Gurcov: “Following the collapse of Russia-United States talks on Ukraine, Russia is attempting to occupy as much of Ukraine as possible before the onset of adverse weather.
He added: “Russian forces are also doubling down on a long-range bombing campaign that seeks to disrupt Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure ahead of the cold.”
What Happens Next
With no ceasefire imminent, Russia is likely to continue its targeting of Ukrainian sites. But Ukraine is hitting back, targeting numerous critical oil and gas sites in the last month, the latest in Crimea this week, dealing a blow to Russia’s energy industry.
Gurcov said Russia’s targeting of energy infrastructure has prompted Ukrainian forces to respond in kind and expand their deep strike campaign beyond just oil refineries, he added.
This means that Russian civilians may also face the prospect of blackouts and loss of heating supply due to the war, he added.
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