Ukraine's power network suffers further damage after fresh Russian strikes as blackouts spread

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles in an overnight attack that again hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving Kyiv with serious disruption to electricity, water and heat supplies. He said the capital was among the hardest-hit areas after strikes on substations and a bridge over the Dnipro River. The attack also injured five people, including a 14-year-old girl.

Zelenskyy said the strikes were part of a wider assault on energy facilities in five regions, including substations that help connect two nuclear power plants to Kyiv. He said the city's Northern Bridge was closed while workers repaired damage to the road surface and power lines. The latest attack came as negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are due to meet in Abu Dhabi next week for talks aimed at ending the war.

The damage adds to a difficult week for residents in Kyiv, who have already faced day-long power cuts and interruptions to water supply. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that attacks on the power grid are intended to make civilian life harder during the winter months. The latest strike also underlines the vulnerability of infrastructure that supports both the capital and the wider energy system.

The timing is significant because it comes just before renewed diplomatic efforts involving the three sides. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to plunge Kyiv and the rest of the country into darkness while preparing for peace talks. He also appealed for more support from the United States, saying Ukraine must not be left alone.

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Ukraine's energy network has been a repeated target since Russia's full-scale invasion, and substations linked to nuclear plants have become a particular concern because of their role in keeping the grid stable. The latest damage is likely to keep attention on the resilience of the system as colder weather approaches. It also raises questions about how much repair work can be completed before any further strikes.

What remains unclear is how long repairs will take and whether the latest attack will affect the planned talks in Abu Dhabi. Officials have not yet given a full assessment of damage outside Kyiv, and the extent of any longer-term disruption to heating and water services is still being checked. The next updates are likely to focus on repair progress, casualty figures and any diplomatic response to the strike.

Overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks have damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure again, leaving parts of the country without power and disrupting water and heating supplies. President Volodymyr Zelensky said 12 regions came under attack, with Kyiv hit hardest. He said the capital was facing difficult conditions after strikes on residential buildings, a bridge and a kindergarten.

Zelensky said the wave of attacks involved more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones. He said nine people were hurt across the country, including one child. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko later said the city's water supply system had returned to normal operation, while around 60% of apartment buildings in the capital were connected to the heating system.

Energy minister Denys Shmyhal said there were power cuts in five regions, but did not give a figure for the number of homes affected. The strikes also damaged substations in Kyiv region that connect the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine, according to Zelensky. He said substations were also hit in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.

The attacks came as temperatures were dropping and the first winter snow had fallen in parts of Ukraine, increasing pressure on the country's power system and municipal services. The latest damage matters because Ukraine's energy network has been a repeated target since Russia's full-scale invasion, and the onset of colder weather raises the stakes for heating, electricity and water supply. The strikes also came before Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to take part in trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week.

Zelensky said Moscow was preparing for those talks by attacking what he called critical infrastructure. The timing adds to a wider diplomatic backdrop that has included recent efforts to revive negotiations and a separate ceasefire in the southern region of Kherson. Zelensky has also been seeking more international support for repairs to the power grid, including equipment and diplomatic backing.

The damage to substations linked to nuclear plants is likely to keep attention on the resilience of Ukraine's energy system and the security of its winter supply lines. It is not yet clear how long the latest repairs will take or whether further strikes will follow before the Abu Dhabi talks. Officials have not said how many homes remain without power outside Kyiv, and the full scale of damage in the affected regions is still being assessed.

The next developments are likely to come from further government updates on repairs, casualties and the condition of the grid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to Latin American leaders for urgent help to repair Ukraine's power grid, saying the country needs equipment and diplomatic support as Russian attacks continue. He made the appeal at the 30th Ibero-American summit in Madrid on Thursday. Zelenskyy said every power plant in Ukraine has been damaged in one way or another by attacks.

He asked for supplies that can work with Ukraine's electricity system, including transformers, power cables, electronic equipment, diesel generators and gas generators. Zelenskyy said the help was needed quickly and urged leaders to support direct links with companies that can provide the equipment. He also said this was the first time Ukraine had been represented at the summit, which brought together a 22-nation group of mainly Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries from Latin America.

The Ukrainian president said his country also needs diplomatic backing from the region. In remarks posted separately, he said Ukraine has sought stronger communication with countries in Latin America and Africa since the start of the war. He added that more votes from Latin American countries have been coming at the United Nations General Assembly, and called on regional leaders to speak out against what he described as Russian mass killings carried out through bombings and drones.

The appeal comes as repeated strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have raised fears of another difficult winter. Zelenskyy said the damage to the power system has been widespread, while Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Tuesday that supplies in the capital were extremely difficult. The issue is significant because Ukraine's electricity network has been a repeated target since the full-scale invasion, leaving officials under pressure to keep heating and power systems working through the colder months.

The Madrid summit also placed Zelenskyy in front of a wider international audience at a time when US-led efforts are under way to revive peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Trilateral talks are due to resume next week in the United Arab Emirates, adding to the diplomatic backdrop to his appeal. The summit was attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, Honduran President Nasry Asfura, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa.

What remains unclear is how much practical support Latin American governments or companies may be able to provide, and how quickly any equipment could reach Ukraine. It is also not yet known whether Zelenskyy's appeal will lead to new commitments from summit participants. The next developments are likely to come from follow-up meetings in Madrid and from any announcements linked to the planned talks in the United Arab Emirates.

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