Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, killing at least one person, wounding eight, and damaging energy infrastructure and a major bridge across the Dnipro River, authorities said on Saturday.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said explosions rocked the city as multiple waves of ballistic missiles struck, with several hitting the Northern Bridge. He described an “extremely difficult” situation for power, heating and water supplies in the capital, where temperatures hovered near freezing on Saturday morning.
Russia has recently stepped up air strikes on Ukraine, pounding energy infrastructure with difficult-to-intercept missiles and drones more than four and a half years into its full-scale invasion. The campaign has expanded to target Kyiv’s bridges, snarling traffic in the city of more than 3 million.
Governor Tymur Tkachenko said energy facilities in at least three districts of the Kyiv region were hit. Homes and non-residential buildings were also damaged, officials said.
Moscow’s defence ministry said it carried out a massive strike on what it described as targets in Ukraine’s military-industrial sector, as well as energy and transport infrastructure in and around Kyiv. The attacks also damaged energy infrastructure in the central Zhytomyr region, according to the regional governor and Russia’s defence ministry.
FRANCE 24 correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze reported that living conditions are worsening, with residents having “about two to three hours of electricity per day, no heating, and daily water outage”. She added that Volodymyr Zelensky continues to criticise Mayor Klitschko’s crisis management, saying that “of the entire country, Kyiv is the region least prepared to deal with the situation”. Meanwhile, the city of Chernihiv was plunged into complete darkness and cut off from the power grid following further strikes.
The strikes come days before a new round of three-way talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, part of a US-backed peace push that has so far yielded few results.
In southern Ukraine, a recovery operation continued in the village of Komyshuvakha, devastated on Monday when multiple Russian guided bombs struck a former school and nearby shelter as residents waited for humanitarian aid.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The attack targets critical infrastructure in the capital, worsening humanitarian conditions as winter sets in with limited power, heating, and water.
- The strikes come ahead of a new round of peace talks, highlighting the continued intensity of the conflict despite diplomatic efforts.
- The campaign against bridges disrupts daily life for millions in Kyiv and adds a new dimension to Russia’s air war.
Background
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In recent months, it has stepped up long-range strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, causing widespread blackouts and water shortages. More than four and a half years into the war, the ground conflict has largely stalled, and Russia has shifted to pounding civilian infrastructure with missiles and drones.
Key Perspectives
- Ukrainian authorities: Denounce the strikes as targeting civilian infrastructure, causing casualties and cutting off essential services. Mayor Klitschko described the situation for power, heating, and water as “extremely difficult.”
- Russian defence ministry: Says it carried out a massive strike on what it described as military-industrial, energy, and transport infrastructure, consistent with its stated aim of degrading Ukraine’s war-fighting capability.
- Volodymyr Zelensky: Has criticised the crisis management in Kyiv, calling it the region least prepared to deal with the situation, according to a France 24 correspondent.
What to Watch
- The outcome of the upcoming three-way talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukrainian and Russian officials.
- Further strikes on energy infrastructure as winter deepens and supplies remain scarce.
- Possible changes in crisis management in Kyiv after Zelensky’s criticism of Klitschko.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe overnight strike killed one person.France 24 Europe: “One person was killed and eight people including a child were wounded in the overnight attack”
- SupportedThe overnight strike wounded eight people.France 24 Europe: “One person was killed and eight people including a child were wounded in the overnight attack”
- SupportedThe overnight attacks damaged energy infrastructure and a major bridge across the Dnipro River.France 24 Europe: “damaging energy infrastructure and a major bridge across the Dnipro River, officials said on Saturday.”
- SupportedAuthorities attributed at least one death and eight injuries to the overnight attack.France 24 Europe: “killing at least one person while wounding eight, authorities said.”
- SupportedKlitschko described the situation for power, heating and water supplies as “extremely difficult”.France 24 Europe: “He described an "extremely difficult" situation for power, heating and water supplies in Kyiv”
- SupportedKlitschko said multiple waves of ballistic missiles struck the city, with several hitting the Northern Bridge.France 24 Europe: “Explosions rocked the city as Russia fired multiple waves of ballistic missiles, several of them hitting the Northern Bridge, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.”
- SupportedTkachenko said energy facilities in at least three districts of the Kyiv region had been hit.France 24 Europe: “Governor Tymur Tkachenko said energy facilities in at least three districts of the Kyiv region had been hit.”
- SupportedResidents had “about two to three hours of electricity per day, no heating, and daily water outage”.France 24 Europe: “people having “about two to three hours of electricity per day, no heating, and daily water outage”.”
- Partly supportedZelensky said the exact words “of the entire country, Kyiv is the region least prepared to deal with the situation”.France 24 Europe: ““Volodymyr Zelensky continues to criticise Vitali Klitschko’s crisis management, saying that of the entire country, Kyiv is the region least prepared to deal with the situation,” Chaze added.”
- SupportedTemperatures in Kyiv hovered near freezing on Saturday morning.France 24 Europe: “where temperatures hovered near freezing on Saturday morning.”
- SupportedThe strikes damaged energy infrastructure in the central Zhytomyr region.France 24 Europe: “Saturday's strikes also damaged energy infrastructure in the central Zhytomyr region, the regional governor and Russia's defence ministry said.”