Ukraine: Overnight Russian attack cuts off power in Kyiv
January 20, 2026
Russia carried out an aerial attack on Kyiv overnight, severing power and water supplies for thousands of residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital amid a temperature of -14 degrees Celsius (6.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the city's mayor said Tuesday.
The drone and missile strikes hit the east bank of the Dnipro River on the night of Monday to Tuesday, Vitali Klitschko said.
Homes in Kyiv without power, heating
The attack by Russian forces has left a total of 5,635 residential buildings in Kyiv without heating, mayor Klitschko said in a statement posted on Telegram.
He added that municipal and energy services are working to restore heating, water, and electricity in the city's homes.
Energy company DTEK said over 335,000 Kyiv residents were left without electricity after the overnight Russian strikes.
The latest Russian offensive comes only 10 days after Moscow mounted the worst attack on Kyiv's energy grid since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The attack on January 9 cut off power for many of the capital's residents for days.
Around 80% of the buildings affected in the latest strikes were those where the heat supply was being restored from the previous attack, Klitschko said.
Zelenskyy appeals to world leaders
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces fired "a significant number of ballistic and cruise missiles" along with “more than 300 attack drones."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said fresh strikes on energy infrastructure should be a top priority for world leaders.
"War criminal Putin continues to wage a genocidal war against women, children and elderly, "Sybiga wrote on social media, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said the latest attack underscored the urgency of international support. "Putin's barbaric strike this morning is a wake up call to world leaders gathering in Davos: support for the Ukrainian people is urgent; there will be no peace in Europe without a lasting peace for Ukraine," Sybiga added.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa said the impact on the capital was severe. "Almost half of Kyiv is in blackout right now," she said.
A 50-year-old man reportedly died in the attack, according to Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk. The strikes also damaged two fuel stations, he added.
Attack on energy facility in Odesa
An energy infrastructure facility also suffered damage in a Russian strike on Ukraine's Odesa in the south, the region's Governor, Oleh Kiper, said.
A Russian drone also hit a multi-storey residential complex in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, he added.
There was no immediate information on the number of injuries.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Chornobyl nuclear power plant lost all off-site power following widespread military activity early Tuesday, the UN nuclear watchdog said. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on X that several Ukrainian electrical substations critical for nuclear safety were affected, while power lines supplying other nuclear plants were also disrupted.
Edited by: Karl Sexton