Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine, killing seven people and targeting critical energy infrastructure, including substations that supply power to two nuclear plants, Ukrainian officials said Saturday.
The attacks, which involved over 450 drones and 45 missiles, struck multiple regions including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, prompting renewed fears over nuclear safety and energy stability as winter approaches.
“This was a deliberate and coordinated attack on our energy backbone,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it “nuclear terrorism.”
Casualties and Damage
Dnipro: 3 killed, 12 injured after a drone hit an apartment building
Zaporizhzhia region: 3 killed
Kharkiv region: 1 killed
Energy substations: Facilities powering the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear plants were damaged
Power outages: Widespread blackouts reported; Tsentrenergo halted operations at key plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes, accusing Russia of “deliberately endangering nuclear safety in Europe.” The attacks also damaged gas infrastructure, according to state energy firm Naftogaz.
International observers are closely monitoring the situation, with calls for increased sanctions and emergency support mounting across Europe.
