Russia Hammers Ukraine's Power Grid in Winter, Leaving Millions in the Dark and Cold

Russia Hammers Ukraine's Power Grid in Winter, Leaving Millions in the Dark and Cold Russia is intensifying a brutal campaign of strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging millions of civilians into darkness and cutting heat during freezing winter temperatures. The coordinated attacks, which experts describe as an "energy war," aim to break civilian morale by creating widespread humanitarian hardship [58553]. The latest major assault occurred overnight, striking energy facilities and residential areas in multiple cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv. The attack wounded at least 27 people in Kharkiv, including a 12-year-old boy, and killed one woman in Kyiv [58413]. It left approximately 1.2 million people without electricity and heating amid sub-zero conditions [58412]. These strikes are not isolated incidents but part of a sustained Russian strategy targeting the vulnerable, Soviet-era centralized heating systems. When a single large plant is hit, heat disappears for thousands of apartments, hospitals, and schools at once [58213]. In the capital, nearly 1,700 high-rise buildings remain without heating following months of such bombardments [58341]. In some districts of Kyiv, residents have endured blackouts lasting over 16 days, surviving in freezing apartments with candles and warm clothes [58548]. Ukrainian officials have labeled the attacks on the power grid acts of genocide, intended to inflict maximum suffering on the civilian population [58548]. The timing of the strikes has drawn international condemnation, with one European official accusing Russia of using "the language of terror" after a massive attack coincided with the opening of international peace talks [58412]. Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, fighting continues on the front lines with no sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin abandoning his territorial demands [58548]. In response to the aerial onslaught, Ukraine's allies are pushing to bolster the country's air defenses. Western officials have urgently called for stronger defensive systems to protect Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure [58412]. "Russia Targets Ukraine's Power Grid in Winter" Russia Strikes Ukraine Cities as Peace Talks Open **Russia Speaks "Language of Terror" in Blackout Strike During Peace Talks** Kyiv's Winter Crisis: 1,700 Towers Still Lack Heat After Attacks Kyiv Endures 16-Day Blackout as Peace Talks Continue Cold War Heating Grid Leaves Ukrainian Cities Exposed Kyiv Freezes Under Russian Strikes as War Talks Continue