Russia launches massive assault on Ukraine’s energy grid, minister says

Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, has confirmed that Russian strikes targeted the country’s energy infrastructure, affecting eight regions. He described the attacks as another crime against humanity and accused Russia of attempting a “winter genocide.”

In a post on his account on the social media platform X, Shmyhal noted that eight regions of Ukraine had come under attack, Caliber.Az reports.

Eight regions of Ukraine came under attack.
This was another russian crime against humanity - an attempt at winter genocide.
russia used ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, to strike high-rise residential buildings, TPPs and CHPs that were operating solely to…

— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) February 3, 2026

“This was another Russian crime against humanity - an attempt at winter genocide.

Russia used ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, to strike high-rise residential buildings, TPPs and CHPs that were operating solely to provide heat to communities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.

These were not military targets. They were purely civilian. Hundreds of thousands of families, including children, were deliberately left without heating during the harshest winter conditions, with temperatures dropping to −25 °C.

Every Russian involved in the planning, support, and execution of these strikes - carried out with the clear intent to inflict mass suffering on the Ukrainian people - must be held fully accountable.

Meanwhile, Russian media channels reported that the Russian Armed Forces carried out the most extensive assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the beginning of the year, occurring just one day after the expiration of an energy ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin. According to these reports, the attack involved more than 100 drones and over 30 ballistic missiles. The reported targets included CHP Plant No. 6 in Kharkiv, the Prydniprovska Thermal Power Plant in Dnipropetrovsk, the Trypilska Thermal Power Plant in Kyiv Region, the 750 kV Kyiv substation in Makariv, the Darnytsia CHP plant in Kyiv, as well as 440 kV substations in Kharkiv and a 330 kV substation in Odesa.

By Vafa Guliyeva