Major drone and missile strike on Ukraine kills at least three, cuts power
Major drone and missile strike on Ukraine kills at least three, cuts power
Massive Russian barrage targets Ukraine's grid, leaving residents without power in freezing weather as casualties mount amid ongoing peace talks.
In the dead of night and into the morning, Ukraine faced a major Russian barrage of drones and missiles. Officials said more than 650 drones and about three dozen missiles roared across the country, striking homes and the power grid in 13 regions.
At least three people were killed, including a 4-year-old child, with casualties reported in the Zhytomyr region, the Kyiv region, and the Khmelnytskyi region as emergency services scrambled to respond amid bitter winter temperatures.
The strikes knocked out electricity in large swaths of the country, compounding the cold and disrupting daily life just as talks led by the United States and other partners sought momentum toward a peace agreement.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a clear signal of Moscow’s priorities, noting that it came during negotiations aimed at ending the war. He highlighted recent progress in U.S.-led peace efforts and referenced discussions described by a U.S. envoy as productive, even as Kyiv and its allies warned Moscow against escalating violence.
The day’s events underscore the fragility of any pause in fighting as diplomats push for a settlement. While authorities work to restore power and assist affected communities, the international community watches closely to see whether diplomacy can outpace military escalation.
