More than one million people in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region have lost heating and water after Russian drone strikes damaged critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
The attack hit vital facilities across southeastern Ukraine. Thousands more in neighboring Zaporizhzhia also experienced power outages, but electricity has since been restored there.
Winter Makes Crisis Worse
With winter underway, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, aiming to disrupt power supplies during harsh conditions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strikes “mockery” and urged the West for stronger support.
“There is no military sense in such strikes on the energy sector, which leave people without electricity and heating in winter conditions,” Zelensky said.
Hospitals, water stations, and other essential services in Dnipropetrovsk are running on backup power. Officials have asked residents to limit electricity use to reduce pressure on the grid.
Energy Company Struggling to Recover
Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider serving 5.6 million people, told the BBC last month that the company is in “permanent crisis mode.”
He said the frequency of attacks is so high, they have little time to repair damage.
Zelensky Urges Resilience and Continued Support
As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion nears, Zelensky encouraged Ukrainians to stay strong.
He also stressed that peace talks should not slow down Western aid, especially for Ukraine’s air defenses.
Diplomatic Talks and Rising Tensions
Zelensky has been on a diplomatic tour, meeting allies in the “Coalition of the Willing” and speaking with US President Donald Trump’s peace envoys.
Recently, the UK and France agreed to deploy troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Moscow warned this would make foreign forces a “legitimate target.”
Despite ongoing talks, Zelensky said European allies have yet to provide solid guarantees of protection against new Russian aggression.
Hope for Peace in 2026
Zelensky remains hopeful the war will end in the first half of 2026, with the EU playing a key role in any settlement.
Peace proposals from Trump, amended by Ukraine and European allies, include territorial concessions in eastern areas not under Russian control.
Ukraine has refused to give up any land so far. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin insists on annexing the entire Donbas region.
Russian forces have made slow progress in recent months.