Russia launched one of its largest combined drone and missile assaults across Ukraine early Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring 18 others, Ukrainian officials said. The wave of strikes came just a day after President Donald Trump announced he was putting his planned meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on hold, saying he did not want it to be a “waste of time.”
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said the “massive combined overnight attack” targeted critical energy infrastructure in multiple regions, triggering widespread power outages as emergency crews rushed to restore service. “As soon as security conditions allow, energy workers will begin assessing the consequences of the attack and carrying out repair work,” she said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as part of Moscow’s ongoing campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of winter. “Another night that proves Russia does not feel enough pressure for prolonging the war,” Zelenskyy said. He urged the United States, the European Union, and the G7 nations to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, calling for a “united and forceful” international response.
In the Kyiv region, rescuers found the bodies of a woman and her two daughters — a 6-month-old infant and a 12-year-old girl — after a Russian strike set their home ablaze in the village of Pohreby. “This is a tragedy for the entire community, for the Kyiv region, and for the country,” regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.
Two more people were killed in the Dnipro district of Kyiv when debris from a downed drone caused a fire on the sixth floor of a residential building, authorities said. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that emergency services rescued at least ten people from the site and were responding to other fires and structural damage across the capital.
In the Darnytskyi district, debris from a drone hit a 17-story apartment building, igniting a fire that spread across five floors. Rescuers evacuated 15 people, including two children. Another 20 people were rescued in the Desnianskyi district after part of a 10-story building was damaged and a gas pipe caught fire.
The cities of Zaporizhzhia and Izmail in the Odesa region were also hit, according to local officials. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said power facilities in Odesa suffered “extensive damage,” while Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions experienced emergency blackouts.
Ukraine’s Army General Staff said its forces retaliated by striking a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region late Tuesday night using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The facility produces gunpowder, explosives, and missile fuel — key components in Russia’s defense industry.
The assault occurred as Trump prepared to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House to discuss continued Western military support for Ukraine. The meeting comes after Trump postponed a scheduled summit with Putin in Budapest, following consultations between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s opposition to an immediate ceasefire, signaling little progress toward diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is seeking to purchase 25 U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems using frozen Russian assets and international assistance. “It will take time to acquire them because of long production schedules,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Trump has pledged to help accelerate procurement through European partners.
Earlier this month, Russia launched what Ukraine described as the largest attack of the war, deploying 381 drones and 35 missiles against the country’s natural gas facilities. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is intensifying efforts to disable the nation’s energy grid before winter sets in.
AP
