In one of the most intense overnight attacks yet, Russian forces unleashed a combined drone and missile assault targeting Ukraine’s power grid and gas facilities. The strikes caused widespread blackouts in eight regions, as damage to transmission lines and generation plants overwhelmed repair crews. 
In response, Ukraine announced emergency power cuts across all regions to manage the energy shortfall and prevent further grid collapse.   Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy, visiting Washington, urged increased defense and infrastructure support, calling this assault evidence of Russia’s strategy to “weaponize winter.” 
Analysts say the timing is intentional: as cold weather sets in, disruption to heating and lighting can deepen humanitarian stress and pressure Ukrainian resistance. These attacks continue a broader Russian campaign to target civilian infrastructure, especially energy, ahead of winter months.  
As Ukrainian engineers race to restore power, the assault underscores how vulnerable civilian systems remain in modern warfare—and how strategic energy denial has become a central front in this conflict.