Russian Air Strikes Kill Civilians, Damage Energy Infrastructure in Ukraine
Russian air and drone strikes hit multiple regions across Ukraine, killing civilians and damaging critical infrastructure as the country struggles with blackouts and heating outages amid a severe winter freeze.
In the southern port city of Odesa, a large-scale drone attack left one man dead and at least 23 others injured, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Odesa regional military administration head Oleh Kiper. Several apartment buildings caught fire, while a church in the city center and a kindergarten were also damaged.
In the eastern Donetsk region, a married couple in their 40s were killed in Slovyansk, and in the southern Zaporizhzhya region, a 58-year-old resident was killed at home in another drone strike.
Describing the attack as “brutal,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that every Russian strike undermines ongoing diplomacy and efforts by international partners to end the conflict.
Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to resume peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi later this week, following what officials called “constructive” talks last weekend. Despite these discussions, Russia continues military operations, particularly in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, with pressure mounting as the conflict approaches its fourth anniversary.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, reiterated Moscow’s demand for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region, calling it “the path to peace.”
The ongoing winter has intensified hardships for Ukrainians, with widespread energy blackouts caused by targeted Russian attacks on electricity and heating infrastructure. Since January 9, emergency crews have worked to repair damaged substations, toppled power pylons, ruptured heating pipes, and other destruction caused by relentless drone and missile strikes.
