A massive Russian missile and drone strike overnight and into the morning of 20 January has left Ukraine’s energy system under severe strain, forcing emergency power restrictions in many regions, the national grid operator Ukrenergo said.
The strike damaged both power generation facilities and transmission and distribution networks, prompting what Ukrenergo described as “quite strict” consumption limits in some areas. Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, frontline regions of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Donetsk Oblasts, as well as Poltava Oblast, have experienced the longest unplanned outages.
Ukrenergo appeals for restraint
Ukrenergo urged residents who currently have electricity to limit use of high-power appliances, turn off unnecessary lights in empty rooms, avoid starting large appliances immediately after power returns, and, where possible, shift energy-intensive tasks to nighttime. Officials stressed that every kilowatt saved helps maintain power for areas experiencing longer outages.
Ukrenergo and energy companies continue efforts to restore electricity to all customers and minimize outage durations, but officials said the system still needs additional support to fully stabilize.
Scale of the attack
The strike came as Russian forces launched 34 missiles and 339 drones across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Sumy, and Rivne. Weapons reportedly included the Zircon anti-ship missile, Iskander-M and S-300 ballistic missiles, and Kh-101 cruise missiles.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted or suppressed 342 targets, including 14 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, 13 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 315 drones across northern, southern, eastern, and central regions.
A winter under bombardment
The attack adds to what has already been one of the most punishing periods for Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began.
From 12 to 18 January alone, Russia launched more than 1,300 attack drones, 1,050 guided aerial bombs, and 29 missiles at Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy.
Not a single Ukrainian power plant has escaped Russian strikes during the war, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told parliament on 16 January. Russia launched 612 targeted combined attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in 2025 alone, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones in what he called "energy terror."
