Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to Ukraine, threatening strikes on decision-making centers in Kyiv using Russia’s new ballistic missile, Oreshnik. This declaration followed a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy grid overnight, which Putin described as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil using U.S.-supplied Atacms missiles.
Ukraine endured a "comprehensive" assault involving 90 missiles and 100 drones, targeting cities such as Odesa, Kharkiv, Lutsk, and Kyiv. The attack left more than one million Ukrainians without power and caused significant damage to the country’s energy infrastructure. Despite the scale of the strikes, Ukrainian officials reported no fatalities.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced emergency power outages across 12 regions, including western areas such as Rivne and Lviv. Over 800,000 people in these regions were left without electricity, with authorities implementing preemptive power cuts to protect the grid from further damage. Kyiv's military administration reported intercepting all missiles targeting the capital during the attack, which lasted over nine hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of employing cluster munitions against civilian and energy infrastructure, describing them as a “particularly dangerous” weapon that hampers rescue and repair operations. In his nightly address, Zelensky emphasized that Russia’s escalation is intended to pressure Western allies, particularly the United States, into conceding to Russian demands.
The Oreshnik ballistic missile, which Putin claims is impossible to intercept, was reportedly used in the overnight assault. U.S. officials, however, suggest Russia has only a limited number of these experimental missiles and requires time to produce more. Putin’s threat to target Kyiv with the Oreshnik marks a new phase in the conflict, intensifying fears of further escalation.
Putin also warned against Ukraine acquiring nuclear weapons, threatening the use of “all means of destruction” should this occur. This follows unverified reports that some Western officials suggested arming Ukraine with nuclear capabilities before U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office. Zelensky has criticized the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which saw Ukraine relinquish its nuclear arsenal, arguing that it left the country vulnerable.
As temperatures drop and snowfalls begin, Ukrainian officials fear another concentrated Russian effort to cripple the country’s power grid during winter. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s energy facilities have been targeted over 190 times. Private energy company DTEK revealed significant damage to thermal plants, resulting in widespread blackouts. The company has received €107 million in aid from the European Commission and the U.S. to aid recovery efforts.
Having already endured two harsh winters under Russian aggression, Ukrainians brace for another difficult season, bolstered by resilience and international support. Meanwhile, the global community watches closely as tensions escalate further, raising the stakes for both sides in this protracted conflict.