In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Russia launched a sweeping wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure overnight from December 7 to 8, 2025, targeting military, energy, and transport facilities across the embattled nation. The attacks, which Ukrainian officials say involved hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and Geran loitering munitions, have left significant swathes of Ukraine grappling with widespread power outages, disrupted water and heat supplies, and crippled supply routes to the frontlines, according to multiple reports from Voennoe Delo, dpa, and NHK.
The scale and precision of the Russian strikes were immediately apparent. In Fastov, a strategically vital railway junction in the Kyiv region used for moving troops and materiel to the front, was hit yet again. Early assessments suggest that repairs could drag on until spring 2026—assuming, of course, no further bombardments. The damage here is not just a logistical headache for Ukraine’s military planners; it’s a stark sign of how infrastructure remains a central target in this grinding conflict.
Meanwhile, in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, Poltava region, the situation was equally dire. According to Voennoe Delo and NHK, Russian forces targeted energy and industrial facilities, including thermal power plants, oil refineries, electrical substations, and storage sites. The aftermath has been immediate and severe: large portions of the city are now without electricity, water, or heating. The city’s mayor, in a social media post on December 8, confirmed that “infrastructure facilities had come under enemy attack” and that teams were “working around the clock to restore critical systems.” This round-the-clock effort underscores the urgency and scale of the damage.
The attacks didn’t stop there. Across the Sumy and Chernigov regions, Russian strikes pummeled warehouses, railway infrastructure, and Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. Ukrainian sources, cited by Voennoe Delo, acknowledged that air-defense systems were unable to repel the onslaught, contradicting official claims from Kyiv about successful interceptions. The reality on the ground, it seems, is much grimmer than some official statements suggest.
In a particularly consequential blow, a Russian missile strike on the Pechenihy dam in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region disrupted a vital supply route leading to frontline sections at Vovchansk, Velykyi Burluk, and Kupyansk—areas where Ukrainian forces are already under severe pressure. Alexander Gusarov, mayor of Pechenihy, relayed on Telegram that the road over the dam was closed, and reports from Ukrainian Telegram channels noted a bridge over the reservoir near Staryi Saltiv had also been destroyed. The 16th Army Corps, seeking to allay fears, stated on Facebook that “alternative routes exist and troops on the frontline have sufficient supplies of weapons and ammunition,” adding that efforts were underway to repair the road.
Yet, the destruction of bridges and dams is not just a tactical concern—it raises profound humanitarian and legal issues. Attacks on reservoirs, dams, or nuclear power plants are prohibited under international law due to their potentially catastrophic consequences. The region is no stranger to such devastation: during the initial months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022, many bridges and dams were destroyed. In 2023, the destruction of the Kachovka dam on the lower Dnipro River by Russian forces caused a catastrophic flood, claiming numerous lives and inflicting severe, lasting damage.
As the barrage continued, the Russian Ministry of Defense justified the strikes as retaliation for what it described as “terrorist attacks by Ukrainian units on civilian targets inside Russia.” The operation, according to the ministry, involved Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, high-precision ground-launched weapons, and strike drones, and specifically targeted transport and energy infrastructure supporting Ukrainian military operations, as well as a facility involved in producing attack drones.
Ukraine’s response has been swift and insistent. President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on December 8, called for increased support from allies in the wake of Moscow’s massive airstrikes. “The priority is clear: more air defense systems and missiles, and more support for our defenders,” Zelensky wrote. He stressed the need for every agreement with partners to be implemented faster. “We are continuing to work with our partners to ensure that, in response to these attacks, our defenses grow stronger,” he added.
Despite the devastation, Ukrainian military officials have tried to reassure the public. The 16th Army Corps maintained that, while the destruction of the Pechenihy dam road is a setback, alternative supply routes remain operational and that frontline troops have adequate supplies. Repair efforts are underway, though the timeline remains uncertain given the ongoing threat of renewed strikes.
Meanwhile, the conflict’s spillover effects were felt inside Russia as well. On December 8, the governor of Russia’s Rostov region announced that a Ukrainian drone attack had damaged a power transmission tower, resulting in a blackout in part of the region. This tit-for-tat dynamic—where infrastructure becomes both a target and a weapon—highlights the increasingly destructive nature of the war, with civilians on both sides bearing the brunt.
Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting continue, albeit with little immediate effect. On December 9, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were scheduled to meet with President Zelensky in London. This high-level gathering reflects the ongoing commitment of Ukraine’s Western partners to seek a peaceful resolution, even as the situation on the ground grows more precarious by the day.
All the while, the humanitarian toll mounts. The destruction of energy facilities in Kremenchuk and elsewhere has left thousands without essential services as winter sets in. The targeting of dams and bridges not only disrupts military logistics but also threatens communities with flooding and isolation. The specter of the Kachovka dam disaster in 2023 still looms large, a grim reminder of the stakes involved when critical infrastructure becomes a casualty of war.
As both sides trade blows and accusations, the calls for more robust air defenses and international support from Kyiv grow louder. The Russian Ministry of Defense, for its part, frames its actions as necessary retaliation, while Ukrainian officials and their allies decry the strikes as violations of international law and basic human decency. The world watches, hoping that diplomatic overtures might soon bring the relentless cycle of attack and reprisal to an end. For now, however, Ukraine’s battered infrastructure stands as a testament to the conflict’s enduring and devastating reach.
