Russia launched a massive combined assault of missiles and drones against Ukraine overnight into Saturday, targeting critical energy infrastructure as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a "substantive phone call" with American officials aimed at ending the conflict.
Scale of the Overnight Assault
Ukrainian air force officials stated that the attack involved a staggering 653 drones and 51 missiles, triggering air raid alerts across the nation. Ukrainian defences managed to intercept a significant portion of the barrage, shooting down 585 drones and 30 missiles. Despite these efforts, 29 locations were struck, wounding at least eight people, according to Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The national energy operator, Ukrenergo, confirmed on social media that the assault was a "massive missile-drone attack" focused on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several regions. In a serious development, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian control, temporarily lost all off-site power. The facility requires constant electricity to cool its six shutdown reactors and prevent a nuclear incident.
Diplomatic Moves and Condemnation
Amid the bombardment, President Zelenskyy emphasised the importance of his discussions with US officials. Both sides concurred that any "real progress toward any agreement" would ultimately hinge on "Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace." Zelenskyy affirmed Ukraine's determination to work in good faith with the American side to achieve a genuine peace.
The Ukrainian leader condemned the latest strikes as "meaningless" from a military perspective. He noted that while energy facilities were the primary targets, a drone strike had also "burned down" a train station in Fastiv, a city in the Kyiv region. "The Russians' goal is to hurt millions of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy stated, accusing Moscow of sinking to new lows by attacking on a religious holiday.
Ukrainian Retaliation and Strategic Aims
In a simultaneous development, Russia's defence ministry claimed its air defences had destroyed 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that its forces had struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery in Russia. Footage shared on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show a large fire and plumes of smoke at the refinery site.
This forms part of a sustained Ukrainian campaign using long-range drones to target Russian oil refining capacity, aiming to deprive Moscow of crucial export revenue needed to fund its war effort. Kyiv and its Western allies assert that Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure is a deliberate strategy to "weaponise" the winter cold by denying civilians heat, light, and running water.
