On Saturday, Russia, after a successful air raid on Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight, attacked facilities in electricity generation and distribution, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks were made in the freezing winter conditions, and the diplomatic actions were still being undertaken to put an end to the war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy claimed that the operation had over 400 drones and approximately 40 missiles of various types. In his opinion, the power grid of Ukraine, generation facilities, and electricity distribution substations were the targets of the strikes. He claimed that the attack caused the additional destabilization of an energy sector that was already stretched by almost four years of war, the recurrent destruction, and harsh winter conditions.
By posting on the social media platform X, Zelenskyy wrote that Russia was choosing to engage in further military activity and not diplomacy. He called on nations which were in favor of continuing trilateral talks to retaliate saying that Moscow should be denied the opportunity to leverage winter conditions. Russian officials failed to promptly comment on the strikes that were reported.
According to the Energy Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, two thermal power plants in western Ukraine were damaged, as well as some of the main aspects of the state electricity system, such as substations and large transmission lines. He explained that the attack was another massive attack on energy facilities and indicated that repair teams were ready to go to work as soon as security conditions allowed.
The attacks occurred when temperatures have dramatically dropped, and in the coming days, the weather is likely to drop to as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius. This timing has increased the anxieties regarding the effect it has on the civilian life, with power outages in extreme temperature cold conditions potentially affecting the heating, water supply, and vital services.
The most recent ones took place just days after another U.S.-facilitated Ukraine-Russia negotiation session dedicated to possible ways of terminating the confrontation. There are still no tangible results with respect to the discussions and pressure of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has been demonstrated in several rounds.
Russian forces have intensified attacks on power plants, transmission systems and other energy infrastructure since the fall of 2025 according to Ukrainian authorities. Such attacks have caused a tremendous number of power outages in the country, which has left millions of people without power. After the recent strikes, the government came up with the emergency power cuts in the country.
Shmyhal stated that Ukraine needed some emergency electricity imports to Poland to stabilize the grid. The regional authorities have claimed destruction and upheavals in various sections of the nation such as western Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv. Authorities affirmed that the Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants were some of the facilities hit.
The DTEK, the largest Ukrainian company of the energy sector, said that the equipment in several of their thermal power plants has been seriously damaged. This was the 10 th attack since October 2025 on the thermal facilities of the firm.
Lviv regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi said that the outages would be extended as energy sites were still targeted. He reported that air raid warnings took over half a day in the Lviv area, which is near to the Polish border.
As a precaution, a temporary suspension was issued on two airports in southeastern Poland by Polish authorities following the attacks on Ukrainian soil. Later, flights were resumed once the situation had stabilized.