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Russia Launches Massive Missile, Drone Strikes Across Ukraine, Killing at Least 4
Russia hits Ukraine with nearly 300 drones and missiles overnight, targeting energy facilities. Four dead, widespread power cuts leave millions facing freezing winter conditions.
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-13
Russia Launches Massive Missile, Drone Strikes Across Ukraine, Killing at Least 4

Russia launched one of its largest attacks of the New Year on Ukraine overnight, striking cities across the country with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, killing at least four people and causing widespread power and heating outages. The attacks have left millions exposed to dangerously cold winter temperatures.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia deployed nearly 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles, and seven cruise missiles targeting energy generation facilities and substations across eight Ukrainian regions. "Every such strike against life is a reminder that support for Ukraine cannot be stopped. Missiles for air defence systems are needed every day, and especially during winter," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app.

Ukrainian air defence units shot down 247 drones and seven missiles, but damage was reported at 24 sites. Emergency power cuts were imposed in Kyiv and other regions, including Chernihiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk, according to the Energy Ministry.

The country’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, said equipment at one of its thermal power plants was heavily damaged. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the conflict, claiming such strikes are justified to weaken Ukraine’s war effort. Kyiv, however, says the attacks are aimed at inflicting civilian suffering and breaking national morale.

Winter in Ukraine is shaping up to be the coldest and darkest yet in the fourth year of the war, with temperatures in Kyiv hovering around -13°C (9°F). Recent Russian attacks have compounded years of cumulative damage, leaving millions without reliable heating and electricity.

In Kharkiv, near the Russian border, four people were killed when a postal terminal was struck, and more than 30 others were wounded, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. In Odesa, five people were injured, with fires reported at a new building, a fitness centre, and a vocational school. Two people were also injured in Kryvyi Rih, where homes, gas pipelines, and civilian infrastructure were damaged.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes targeted military-industrial facilities, while Ukraine continues to face heavy fighting in its eastern Donetsk region as Russian forces advance slowly.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have so far yielded no concrete results, and analysts warn that winter conditions may exacerbate the humanitarian impact of Russia’s intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
Tagged:

Russia

Ukraine

EnergyInfrastructure

DroneAttack

MissileStrike

WinterCrisis
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