Russia carried out a large-scale combined air attack on Ukraine overnight on 3 February 2026, deploying hundreds of drones and multiple types of missiles against targets across the country. Ukrainian authorities said the primary focus was energy infrastructure, with strikes reported in Kyiv and several regional capitals. The attack came during a period of extreme cold, compounding its humanitarian impact. Officials described the operation as one of the most intense assaults on the power and heating system this winter. Emergency services remained on high alert throughout the night.
Massive drone and missile barrage targets energy facilities nationwide
According to Ukrainian data, Russian forces launched about 450 attack drones alongside a mix of missiles, including Zircon anti-ship missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles, Kh-22/Kh-32 and Kh-101 cruise missiles. Energy facilities in Kyiv, Kyiv region, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions were among the main targets. Explosions were also reported in Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Poltava and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian officials said the scale and diversity of weapons indicated a coordinated attempt to overwhelm air defences. The strikes caused widespread damage to power generation and transmission infrastructure.
Kyiv and Kharkiv suffer severe damage and heating disruptions
In Kyiv, five people were injured and damage was recorded in five districts. A five-storey residential building was destroyed in the Dniprovskyi district, while fires broke out in a kindergarten and several apartment blocks. In Pechersk district, a strike hit a fuel station, damaging nearby buildings, vehicles and power lines. Around 1,170 apartment buildings in parts of the capital were left without heating. In Kharkiv, two people were injured and critical damage was reported at a combined heat and power plant, forcing authorities to drain heating systems serving about 820 residential buildings to prevent pipe freezing.
Regional impacts leave hundreds of thousands without heat or power
In Vinnytsia region, the town of Ladyzhyn saw its thermal power plant hit, leaving at least 50 settlements without electricity. Dnipropetrovsk region reported strikes on the Prydniprovska thermal power plant and damage to residential buildings, including a three-storey block and a dormitory in Dnipro. In Sumy region, apartment buildings were damaged in the regional capital, while a private house was destroyed in Konotop, with four people injured across the region. In Odesa region, attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure cut power to more than 50,000 residents. Overall, Ukrainian authorities estimated that around one million people nationwide were left without stable heating during sub-zero temperatures.
Energy companies warn of attempts to disable life-support systems
Ukraine’s largest private energy operator said multiple thermal power stations suffered critical damage during the attack, describing it as an attempt to knock out life-support systems in major cities. Ballistic missiles and drones reportedly struck transformation nodes and turbine halls, halting heat generation in areas with peak demand. Emergency repair crews were deployed under freezing conditions and amid the risk of repeat strikes. Specialists warned that damage to high-voltage equipment with long production cycles could have lasting effects. The attack intensified concerns over cascading failures across urban heating networks.
Diplomatic and strategic implications draw international attention
The timing of the strike has drawn attention from diplomats and analysts, coming amid renewed international mediation efforts and shortly before the expected arrival in Kyiv of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Observers say the scale of the attack raises questions about Moscow’s willingness to restrain military operations during diplomatic engagement. The strikes also coincided with a period when the Ukrainian energy system was most vulnerable due to extreme cold. Western officials have repeatedly warned that sustained attacks on civilian energy infrastructure risk triggering a broader humanitarian crisis. Calls for additional air defence support and tighter enforcement of sanctions on dual-use components have intensified.
