Russia Unleashes Massive Missile and Drone Barrage on Ukraine, Four Killed

Russia launched a ferocious overnight assault on Ukraine early Tuesday, firing more than two dozen missiles and 247 drones in a relentless strike that claimed four lives and inflicted severe damage on critical infrastructure. The barrage targeted multiple regions, with emergency services in Kharkiv battling fires amid freezing conditions as rescuers worked under limited lighting to aid survivors. Authorities confirmed the deaths occurred outside Kharkiv city, where six others sustained injuries in the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that several hundred thousand households near Kyiv were plunged into darkness following the strikes, prompting immediate emergency power outages across the capital region. He renewed urgent appeals to Western allies for enhanced air defence systems, emphasising that additional military assistance remains essential to counter Russia's escalating terror tactics. Zelensky asserted that Russia will not achieve victory through deliberate deprivation of heat and electricity during the harsh winter months.

DTEK, Ukraine's primary private energy operator, disclosed that Russian forces struck one of its power facilities—the eighth such attack on its infrastructure since October. The company revealed that its plants have endured over 220 assaults since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. These repeated blows continue to erode Ukraine's already fragile energy network, exacerbating blackouts and complicating efforts to maintain essential services in sub-zero temperatures.

Also Read: Russia Attacks Two Civilian Ships Carrying Food in Black Sea, Says Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force detailed the scale of the assault, which included 25 missiles of various types alongside the large swarm of drones. Beyond Kharkiv, strikes hit Odesa in the south, damaging residential buildings, a hospital, and a kindergarten, while wounding at least five people across two separate waves. In Kharkiv itself, a long-range drone struck a children's medical facility, igniting a fire although no casualties were reported from that incident.

The latest bombardment forms part of Moscow's intensified campaign against Ukraine's energy sector in recent months, designed to inflict widespread hardship amid winter's peak. The attacks follow last week's controversial use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile, which drew sharp international condemnation as a dangerous escalation. Russian officials claimed the strike targeted an aviation repair plant in response to alleged Ukrainian actions, a narrative dismissed by Kyiv and questioned by Washington.

Also Read: Britain Engages NATO Partners on Arctic Security as Russia and China Step Up Activity