A series of overnight Russian drone and missile attacks left at least 600,000 people across Ukraine without electricity, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The strikes targeted critical energy infrastructure in the capital city of Kyiv, the surrounding region, and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv. Officials confirmed that three people died in Kyiv during the bombardments.
The Russian defence ministry described the actions as massive strikes aimed at energy and communications infrastructure utilized by the Ukrainian military. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles along with 128 drones. Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted four missiles and 115 drones. Reports noted that ballistic missiles struck Kyiv without initial warnings because air raid alerts could not sound in time, an issue linked to reliance on satellite tracking systems for threat detection.
Starlink Restrictions Disrupt Front-Line Missions
Alongside the infrastructure damage, Ukrainian military activities faced sudden complications due to new speed caps placed on the Starlink satellite network. Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelensky, stated in a Telegram post that Elon Musk’s SpaceX applied a speed limit of 160 km/h (100 mph) on Starlink terminals overnight without prior notice to Ukrainian troops.
Beskrestnov stated that the restrictions directly disrupted several ongoing battlefield missions. He emphasized that the connectivity is crucial for intercepting Russia’s newly deployed jet-propelled drones. A source within the Ukrainian defence ministry confirmed that connectivity restrictions were detected above the 160 km/h threshold, complicating logistics, unmanned systems, and middle-strike operations while the ministry investigates the cause.
Diplomatic Tensions and Ceasefire Disputes
The latest strikes follow recent social media claims by US President Donald Trump that an energy ceasefire had been agreed upon between Russia and Ukraine. However, Ukrainian officials stated that strikes have continued against their power grid. Zelensky indicated that Ukraine remains willing to halt attacks on Russian energy facilities if Moscow reciprocates.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the concept of a truce, arguing that a pause in hostilities would allow European nations to send additional weaponry to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zelensky is scheduled to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in London to request accelerated air defence support, as Moscow maintains control over roughly 20 percent of Ukrainian land following its 2022 invasion.
Source: BBC News
