Russia launches large missile, drone strike against Ukrainian energy system | The Express Tribune

Russia launched a "massive" air attack on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight on Saturday, targeting electricity generation and distribution, Kyiv said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the overnight attack involved more than 400 drones and some 40 missiles of various types, targeting the grid, generation facilities and distribution substations. Nearly four years into the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine's battered energy sector is crumbling under the Russian strikes, accumulated wartime damage and bitterly cold winter weather. Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the strikes hit two thermal power stations in Ukraine's western regions and core elements of the Ukrainian electricity distribution system - substations and key electricity distribution lines. Regional officials reported attacks across the country, including in the western regions of Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. The Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine were hit, officials said. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said that equipment was damaged significantly at its thermal power plants in different regions. DTEK said it was the 10th attack on its thermal power stations since October 2025. Polish authorities said two airports in southeastern Poland were suspended from operations as a precaution due to Russian strikes on nearby Ukrainian territory.