Russia Launches Major Missile and Drone Barrage Across Ukraine, Power Grid Hit Amid Deep Winter Cold

Kyiv | Jan 13, 2026 | GEOKHUB Russia carried out one of its largest coordinated missile and drone attacks of the year across Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people and crippling power and heating infrastructure as millions face freezing winter conditions, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces launched nearly 300 drones, along with 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles, striking eight regions in a broad assault that primarily targeted Ukraine’s energy system.

“The main blows were aimed at electricity generation facilities and substations,” Zelenskiy said, warning that continued attacks on civilian infrastructure underscored Ukraine’s urgent need for air defence support, particularly during winter.

Energy Infrastructure Under Sustained Pressure

Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 247 drones and seven missiles, but acknowledged damage at 24 separate sites, prompting emergency power outages in Kyiv and several regions including Odesa, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, said equipment at one of its thermal power plants sustained heavy damage, further straining a grid already weakened by repeated strikes over the course of the war.

Temperatures in Kyiv hovered around minus 13 degrees Celsius, with residents enduring intermittent electricity and heating cuts following earlier attacks.

Casualties Reported in Kharkiv and Southern Ukraine

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said a postal terminal was hit by multiple missiles and drones, killing four people and injuring more than 30.

“We faced a mass Shahed and missile attack,” Syniehubov said, referring to Iranian-designed drones frequently used by Russian forces.

In the southern port city of Odesa, emergency services reported at least five injuries and multiple fires at civilian sites, while two people were wounded in Kryvyi Rih after strikes damaged homes, gas pipelines and other infrastructure.

War Enters Fourth Winter With No Breakthrough

Russian officials said the strikes targeted military-industrial facilities, while Ukrainian authorities accused Moscow of deliberately inflicting civilian suffering to weaken public morale.

As the war approaches the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, diplomatic efforts have yet to yield tangible results. Ukrainian officials warn that this winter could be the most difficult yet, as cumulative damage to infrastructure coincides with intensifying attacks and harsh weather conditions.