Ukraine War25 January, 20262 min read
Russia Launches Brutal Missile-and-Drone Assault on Kyiv, Knocks Out Power to 1.2 Million
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Russia launched a large-scale missile-and-drone assault targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure, striking Kyiv and Kharkiv Attacks cut electricity to about 1.2 million properties across Ukraine, leaving residents without heating
9 outlets told this the same way.
Overnight missile and drone attack
Russia launched a large overnight missile-and-drone assault that struck Kyiv and other regions. The attack severely damaged energy infrastructure and cut power to about 1.2 million properties amid freezing temperatures.
“Russia launched one of its heaviest overnight attacks on Ukraine in weeks, striking Kyiv and border regions and knocking out power to about 1.2 million properties amid sub‑zero temperatures.”
Ukrainian officials and multiple outlets reported heavy strikes on the capital and border regions, with AAP calling it one of its heaviest overnight attacks in weeks. News18 and Hindustan Times said the bombardment left roughly 1.2 million homes without power, and authorities reported extensive outages as crews raced to restore services during sub-zero weather.
Varied reports on strikes
Officials provided differing technical counts of the weapons used and the immediate damage to infrastructure. AAP said President Zelenskiy reported roughly "370 combat drones and 21 missiles," while News18 and Hindustan Times quoted Ukraine’s air force saying "about 375 drones and 21 missiles - including two rarely used Tsirkon ballistic missiles." Devdiscourse described drone strikes in Kharkiv and intense nighttime missile barrages without giving precise totals, reflecting a mix of specific military tallies and broader descriptive reporting across outlets.
Kyiv heating crisis
The assault worsened civilian hardship in Kyiv as heating and power failures left thousands exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Several outlets reported nearly 6,000 Kyiv buildings lost heating in the morning, before about 3,200 remained unheated by evening after crews restored heat to over 1,600 buildings. France 24 highlighted that many apartments were already freezing after earlier damage to the city's centralized heating system.
“Deputy PM Oleksiy Kuleba said some 3,200 buildings in the capital were still without heating late evening (down from 6,000 earlier).”
Local officials and the deputy prime minister provided counts of affected households. Kuleba told reporters that some 3,200 buildings in the capital were still without heating late in the evening, down from about 6,000 earlier, while News18 and Hindustan Times repeated figures of nearly 6,000 buildings without heat amid -10°C conditions.
Casualties and civilian damage
Reports described human casualties and damage to civilian facilities. Numbers vary slightly between outlets, with AAP and The Independent reporting at least one person killed in Kyiv and dozens injured overall, including at least 19 in Kharkiv. News18 and Hindustan Times cited Kyiv's mayor saying one death and four injuries in the capital and 19 wounded in Kharkiv.
Several sources reported hits on medical facilities and shelters. News18 noted damage to medical facilities, including a maternity hospital, a dormitory for displaced people, and other buildings. Devdiscourse said heated shelters and essential supplies were being provided to vulnerable residents.
Media coverage of attack
The attack occurred amid US-brokered trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates, a timing noted by nearly every outlet. The Independent highlighted political fallout and quoted Ukraine's foreign minister accusing Vladimir Putin of ordering a 'brutal' strike that 'hit not only our people, but also the negotiation table'. Devdiscourse and News18 simply noted the strikes coincided with or came while the US-brokered talks continued and reported the talks ended without resolution.
“The second day of talks coincided with a large Russian missile-and-drone attack on Ukraine.”
AAP likewise noted the timing and also included Russian official claims of damage in Belgorod. Together these reports underscore divergent emphases—diplomatic symbolism and accusations in some outlets versus procedural, timing-focused reporting in others.
