Russian Strikes Kill Five in Ukraine, Damage Energy Grid, Prompt Polish Alert
Russian forces launched a massive barrage of strikes across Ukraine on Sunday, resulting in five civilian deaths and severe damage to the nation’s energy infrastructure.
The attacks temporarily severed power to tens of thousands of subscribers and prompted neighbouring Poland to mobilize ground defenses and put its airspace on high alert.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 496 drones and 53 missiles, most of which were successfully intercepted.
However, the strikes intensified fears that Moscow is resuming its widespread campaign of attacks on power facilities aimed at plunging millions into darkness this winter.
Civilian Casualties and Infrastructure Damage
The deadliest attacks occurred near Lviv in western Ukraine, a region hundreds of kilometers from the front line that has largely been spared widespread conflict.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga confirmed that an entire family of four was killed in their home, including a teenage girl.
Emergency services released images showing firefighters tackling blazes and assisting elderly residents to safety in destroyed buildings. An additional person was killed in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, and several people were wounded near the eastern front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences, stating, “Sadly, five people were killed.
My sincere condolences to everyone who lost loved ones to this terror.” He condemned the attacks, saying, “Russians once again targeted our infrastructure—everything that ensures normal life for our people.”
The strikes temporarily cut power to over 110,000 subscribers across several regions, with Zaporizhzhia being the hardest hit.
Regional head Ivan
Fedorov noted that over 73,000 people there were initially without electricity. Furthermore, Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-run gas company, reported damage to its network.
Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi accused Russia of launching these “maniacal terrorist strikes” solely to deprive Ukrainians of “gas, heat, and light.”
International Response and Escalation
The Russian army confirmed the targets, stating the attack was launched “against enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and gas and energy infrastructure facilities that ensured their operation.”
The continued Russian aggression and a recent spate of alleged airspace violations have rattled Ukraine’s European allies. Poland’s armed forces announced overnight that they had mobilized planes and put ground defenses on high alert to secure their airspace, especially in areas close to Ukraine. This follows a month of heightened NATO defenses along its eastern borders, driven by accusations that Moscow is testing the alliance’s air defenses.
The latest campaign also includes intensified air strikes on Ukraine’s railway network, which Kyiv believes is an attempt to isolate frontline communities ahead of winter. This came just after Russia launched drones at two passenger trains in the northeastern Sumy region on Saturday, killing one person and wounding dozens of others.
