As the first chills of winter settle over Eastern Europe, Ukraine is once again plunged into darkness and uncertainty. In October and early November 2025, Russia unleashed its most intense barrage of missile and drone strikes in nearly three years, targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with a ferocity not seen since the outset of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The consequences have been devastating: widespread blackouts, civilian casualties, and a renewed sense of urgency among Ukrainian leaders and their Western allies.
According to an AFP analysis of daily data published by Ukraine’s air force, Russia fired 270 missiles at Ukraine in October 2025 alone—a staggering 46 percent increase over September and the highest monthly total since Kyiv began routinely releasing such statistics at the start of 2023. These attacks were not isolated incidents. They formed part of a deliberate campaign to cripple Ukraine’s power grid for the fourth consecutive winter, a tactic that Kyiv and its international supporters decry as a calculated effort to sap the nation’s morale and resilience.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been unequivocal in his condemnation. Speaking to journalists, including AFP, he asserted, “Russia’s task is to create chaos and apply psychological pressure on the population through strikes on energy facilities and railways.” The sentiment is echoed across the country, where rolling blackouts have become the new normal. Throughout October, every region—including the capital, Kyiv—was subjected to scheduled power cuts to cope with the shortfall in electricity.
The scale of the offensive was not limited to missiles. Russian forces also launched 5,298 long-range drones at Ukraine in October, a slight decrease of about six percent compared to September but still close to record highs. These drones, often used to target both urban centers and critical infrastructure, have kept air raid sirens blaring and emergency crews on perpetual alert. According to France 24, Ukraine’s air force managed to intercept 623 out of 653 aerial targets in one of the largest single attacks on the country’s energy network this year.
The human cost of these attacks has been severe. On the night of November 1 to November 2, 2025, nearly 60,000 people in the frontline region of Zaporizhzhia were left without power after a wave of Russian air attacks. The regional governor, Ivan Federov, reported that two people were wounded and buildings reduced to rubble. "Crews will restore power as soon as the security situation allows," Federov wrote on Telegram, sharing images of shattered facades and broken windows. The region, which endures near-daily artillery, missile, and drone strikes, has seen homes destroyed, utilities crippled, and scores killed as Moscow seeks to disrupt vital connections between Ukraine’s south and the rest of the country.
Elsewhere, the toll has been equally grim. In the southern region of Odesa, two people were killed in overnight drone attacks, according to Ukraine’s state emergency service. The Dnipropetrovsk region, too, suffered tragedy: a Russian air attack on a shop on November 1 claimed four lives, including two boys aged 11 and 14, as confirmed by the region’s acting governor. Such incidents are a stark reminder that, despite official denials from both sides, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict.
President Zelensky has consistently accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians and energy infrastructure. In a recent social media statement reported by France 24, he called on Western allies to step up sanctions against Russia, warning, "We count on America, Europe, and the G7 countries not to ignore Moscow’s intent to destroy everything." The attacks have affected at least nine regions, including Kyiv, and Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed that several of its power plants were damaged. Maxim Timchenko, DTEK’s CEO, described the situation bluntly: "It’s a bad blow in our efforts to keep power flowing this winter." In the western region of Lviv, which borders Poland, two energy facilities were hit, further complicating efforts to maintain stable electricity supplies.
The Ukrainian energy ministry has not provided specific figures but acknowledged that a "significant number of consumers" were left without electricity in the wake of the latest barrages. The attacks on November 1 included 52 missiles and 653 drones, making it one of the largest coordinated assaults on Ukraine’s energy network in 2025, according to Ukraine’s air force and France 24.
International legal bodies have taken notice. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague last year issued arrest warrants for top Russian army officials, charging them with the "war crime of causing excessive" harm to civilians by striking Ukrainian energy sites. This move underscores the growing international consensus that attacks on civilian infrastructure represent not just military strategy but potential violations of humanitarian law.
Ukraine has not remained passive in the face of these relentless attacks. Kyiv has retaliated with strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s vital energy exports and trigger fuel shortages across Russia. These tit-for-tat exchanges highlight the increasingly strategic importance of energy infrastructure in the broader conflict, with both sides seeking to undermine each other’s capacity to wage war and sustain their populations through the winter months.
The situation on the ground remains volatile. In Zaporizhzhia, local officials confirmed that two people were killed and 17 injured—including six children—during the November 1 assaults. The region’s governor, Ivan Federov, painted a grim picture of daily bombardments, with 800 strikes on 18 settlements over a single 24-hour period. "Zaporizhzhia suffers near-daily Russian artillery, missile, and drone strikes that have destroyed homes and utilities," Federov noted on Telegram.
Despite the devastation, Ukrainian emergency crews continue to work around the clock to restore power and repair damaged infrastructure. Their efforts are hampered by the ongoing threat of renewed attacks, as well as the sheer scale of destruction wrought by the latest Russian offensives. The approaching winter only heightens the stakes, as millions of Ukrainians face the prospect of enduring freezing temperatures without reliable heat or electricity.
As the conflict grinds on, the world watches with a mix of dread and determination. The latest wave of Russian attacks underscores the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure in modern warfare and the heavy price paid by ordinary people. For Ukraine, the coming months will test the limits of resilience, solidarity, and international support.
