Heavy Russian strikes overnight killed at least six people across Ukraine and cut power to large parts of the capital Kyiv, authorities said on Wednesday. It was the second straight night of attacks aimed at Ukraine's energy grid, and it left Kyiv's mayor telling residents to stay in shelters as missiles kept coming.
Agence France-Presse reporters in Kyiv heard a series of explosions through the night. By morning, electricity and water supplies were cut off in eastern parts of the city, and Ukraine's biggest private power company was imposing emergency blackouts across five districts.
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Russian Strikes Kill 6 Across Ukraine, Power Cut in Kyiv
The toll was spread across the country. In Kyiv, a Russian strike on a multi-storey building in the Desnianskyi district killed two people, while another attack in the Golosiivsky district killed one, Ukraine's state emergency service said. Ukrainian military authorities also reported that two people were killed and six wounded in Russian attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region. A further person was killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram that energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region had "come under a massive ballistic missile strike," adding that there were power disruptions in the capital. He urged people to remain in shelters.
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy provider, said the attack had caused emergency power cuts in the Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, Pecherskyi and Solomianskyi districts, as well as in part of the Golosiivsky district. Kyiv is home to some 3 million people, and energy infrastructure has become a key target as temperatures drop toward winter.
Further Russian ballistic missile attacks were reported in the Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions, and other strikes hit Sumy and Chernigiv. The overnight barrage followed a Tuesday-evening strike on Kyiv's CHP-4 power facility that came without any advance warning from Ukraine's Western partners — a failure President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly blamed on his allies.
Ukraine hits back: one dead in Russia's Balakovo
Ukraine answered with its own long-range drone campaign. A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and damaged houses in the town of Balakovo on the Volga River in Russia's Saratov region, Governor Roman Busargin said on Telegram, without providing further details. Balakovo is home to a nuclear power plant and a hydropower station whose dam spans the Volga, Reuters reported.
Ukrainian monitoring channels reported a fire near a large metallurgical plant in Balakovo and widespread power outages in the area — claims that could not be independently verified. Moscow's mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, said air defence forces had downed nearly 500 drones flying toward the Russian capital overnight, and Russian authorities said around 160 more were brought down over the Rostov region. Four of Moscow's main airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky — were reported temporarily closed during the raid.
Elsewhere in Russia, a fire at an oil-loading terminal in Rostov-on-Don was reported to be burning for a fourth day following drone strikes on October 10, according to the Kyiv Independent. The terminal handles petroleum products for export and also supplies the Russian armed forces, the outlet reported.
Zelensky: 'no early warning from our partners'
Zelensky's anger at his Western allies hardened overnight. He said Tuesday evening's strike on Kyiv's CHP-4 had arrived with no early warning from partners, writing on Facebook: "A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners." He added that the main target was energy infrastructure — "specifically the CHP-4. Unfortunately, it was hit" — and that Ukrainian systems picked up the missiles only as they were nearing the city.
"This is absolutely unjust," he wrote, arguing it was wrong for Ukraine's infrastructure to be destroyed while the country received no early warnings about ballistic missile launches.
Ukraine relies heavily on Western intelligence to detect incoming Russian attacks, but the relationship has frayed. On Saturday, Trump suggested it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president," and Zelensky has faced criticism from Washington for striking Russian oil refineries. Zelensky has said he would agree to an energy ceasefire if Russian forces stop targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Trump's 'energy ceasefire' claim in tatters
The overnight exchange shredded the "energy ceasefire" Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social network on Sunday, when he said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to end their long-range strikes on power infrastructure. Zelensky voiced surprise at the news — and said the strikes that followed were Vladimir Putin's answer to Trump's claim.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Zelensky for the refinery strikes and has faced a backlash at home for announcing plans to buy diesel from Russia despite wartime sanctions on Moscow. Meanwhile, Zelensky met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in London as Britain pledged a fresh £45 million package of surface-to-air missiles — a reminder that Europe is moving to fill gaps Washington is leaving.
Why it matters
This was not an isolated raid. Two straight nights of ballistic strikes on Ukraine's grid — after an entire autumn of energy infrastructure coming under fire across the wider region — point to a deliberate Russian campaign to break Ukraine's power and heating before winter. Kyiv's mayor is openly telling 3 million residents to shelter while missiles fly, and Ukraine's president is publicly accusing his own allies of leaving him blind. If early-warning sharing has genuinely degraded, every coming night gets more dangerous.
What happens next
Watch three things. First, whether Ukraine's air defences and Western intelligence flows recover — Zelensky's complaint only matters if the warnings return. Second, whether Russia sustains the tempo: a third consecutive night would confirm a winter grid-breaking campaign. Third, how Washington responds: Trump's ceasefire claim is now contradicted by the battlefield, and his diesel deal with Moscow is already under fire at home. Ukraine, for its part, has shown it will keep hitting Russian energy targets — Balakovo, Rostov-on-Don and the refineries — for as long as its own grid burns.
Key Takeaways
- Russian overnight strikes killed at least six people across Ukraine on Wednesday — two in Kyiv's Desnianskyi district, one in Golosiivsky, two in Dnipropetrovsk and one in Zaporizhzhia, authorities said.
- Ballistic missiles hit energy facilities in and around Kyiv; DTEK imposed emergency power cuts in five districts, and AFP reporters confirmed electricity and water cut off in eastern Kyiv.
- Ukraine struck back with drones: one person was killed and houses damaged in Balakovo, Russia, the Saratov governor said; Moscow claimed nearly 500 drones were downed overnight.
- Zelensky accused Western partners of failing to give early warning before the strikes — "Once again, no early warning from our partners" — and called it "absolutely unjust."
- The attacks shredded Trump's Sunday "energy ceasefire" announcement; Zelensky called the strikes Putin's answer to the claim.
- It was the second consecutive night of strikes on Ukraine's grid — a pattern that points to a deliberate campaign ahead of winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened overnight in Kyiv on October 14?
Russia launched heavy overnight strikes on Ukraine, with ballistic missiles hitting energy facilities in Kyiv and the surrounding region. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said there were power disruptions across the capital and urged residents to stay in shelters. AFP reporters heard explosions through the night and confirmed electricity and water were cut off in eastern Kyiv.
How many people were killed in the strikes?
Authorities said at least six people were killed: two in a strike on a multi-storey building in Kyiv's Desnianskyi district, one in the Golosiivsky district, two in the Dnipropetrovsk region (where six more were wounded), and one in the Zaporizhzhia region. The figures were attributed to Ukraine's state emergency service and military authorities.
Did Ukraine strike back at Russia?
Yes. A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and damaged houses in Balakovo, in Russia's Saratov region, Governor Roman Busargin said on Telegram. Moscow's mayor claimed air defences downed nearly 500 drones overnight, plus around 160 over the Rostov region. Ukrainian channels also reported a fire near a Balakovo metallurgical plant, which could not be independently verified.
What did Zelensky say about the lack of warning?
Zelensky said Tuesday evening's strike on Kyiv's CHP-4 power facility arrived with no advance warning from Western allies, writing on Facebook: "Once again, no early warning from our partners." He said Ukraine's systems picked up the missiles only as they neared the city and called the situation "absolutely unjust" while Russia destroys Ukrainian infrastructure.
What was Trump's 'energy ceasefire' announcement?
On Sunday, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire" ending long-range strikes on power infrastructure. Zelensky said the post was his first news of any deal, and called the strikes that followed Vladimir Putin's answer to Trump's claim. Trump has also criticised Zelensky for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
How bad are the power cuts in Kyiv?
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy provider, imposed emergency power cuts in the Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, Pecherskyi and Solomianskyi districts and part of Golosiivsky. AFP reporters confirmed electricity and water supplies were cut off in eastern parts of the city. Kyiv has about 3 million residents, and officials warn repeated hits on the grid could cause severe winter disruption.
Is Balakovo's nuclear power plant at risk?
There is no confirmed report of damage to the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant. Reuters noted the town is home to both a nuclear power plant and a hydropower station, but Governor Busargin's statement mentioned only one person killed and damaged houses, without further details. Claims about specific industrial targets came from unverified monitoring channels.
Sources
- South China Morning Post (AFP) — "Russian strikes kill 6 in Ukraine, knocking out power across Kyiv" — scmp.com
- Reuters (via Deccan Herald) — "Ukraine drone attack kills one person in Russia's Balakovo, governor says" — deccanherald.com
- Kyiv Independent — "Fire breaks out near Russian metallurgical plant after reported Ukrainian drone attack" — kyivindependent.com
- Channel News Asia — "Heavy Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 6, cut power in Kyiv" — channelnewsasia.com
By GlobalDeskNews Staff | 14 October 2026