Russian attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region have killed at least four people, including a child, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow continues its weeks-long bombardment of the Ukrainian capital.
The overnight barrage, carried out into Wednesday, targeted energy facilities, damaging the power grid and disrupting electricity supplies in and around Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Kyiv city officials reported three deaths in the capital. Emergency services said a child was killed in the surrounding region.
Zelenskyy said critical infrastructure was also struck in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions.
Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed its forces had struck power infrastructure in the Kyiv region, saying the facilities were connected to Ukrainian military production. Moscow also said it struck a communications facility in Kyiv and port infrastructure in the southern city of Izmail.
The ministry said the overnight operation used both missiles and drones.
Ukrainian officials reported damage to homes, businesses, warehouses and vehicles. Kyiv was under air alerts for much of the night as missiles and drones approached the city.
DTEK, a major private Ukrainian energy company, said crews had restored electricity to approximately 8,000 households following the attacks. The company said parts of the grid had been damaged, adding further pressure to an energy system repeatedly targeted throughout the war.
The attack followed several days of heavier pressure on Kyiv, including strikes during daylight hours as well as repeated overnight barrages. Observers say Russia is seeking to make the capital unlivable despite Ukraine's drone weaponry and air defences.
Russia has increasingly deployed jet-powered attack drones that travel faster than earlier models and are harder for Ukrainian air defences to intercept. That development has added urgency to Ukraine's calls for greater air-defence support from its allies, particularly interceptors capable of countering ballistic missiles.
Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken warned in Brussels on Wednesday that Europe could face more Russian hybrid threats in the coming months. He called for faster expansion of air defences, weapons stocks and production.
The strikes come as temperatures begin to fall ahead of winter. Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system during the previous winter caused electricity and heating outages during severe cold, making the condition of the power network a major concern as the country heads into another winter of war.
