Russia’s defence ministry announced that it is preparing for large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, framing the planned assault as retaliation for ongoing Ukrainian drone campaigns targeting Russian oil and gas facilities, warehouses, and civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the impending move as an appropriate response to what he termed Kyiv’s path of escalation. The announcement has revived fears of a repeat of previous winter bombardments, during which Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants devastated the country’s electrical grid and left millions of residents without heat or electricity in sub-zero temperatures.
Russia Vows Large-Scale Energy Strikes Following Devastating Depot Blast
Mounting Casualties and Destruction Near Kyiv
The Russian announcement follows one of the deadliest single incidents in Ukraine’s suburbs since the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the death toll from a Russian drone strike on a munitions depot in the village of Myla, located in the Bucha district near Kyiv, climbed to 38, with 20 people injured and four still missing. Ukrainian officials stated that the targeted warehouse was storing ammunition, and the initial blast triggered massive secondary explosions that sent flames into surrounding residential areas, damaging roughly 50 buildings and forcing the evacuation of more than 380 residents. Among those killed in the regional violence was Taras Didych, the mayor of the nearby village of Dmytrivka. Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a criminal negligence investigation into why explosives were stored in such close proximity to homes.
The Myla strike capped a third consecutive day of sustained Russian aerial bombardment across Ukraine. Separate Russian strikes in Kyiv killed a 2-year-old girl and injured 12 other individuals, according to the capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. In eastern Ukraine, local official Vadim Lyakh reported that Russian troops dropped bombs on private homes in the village of Bilbasovka, killing a 13-year-old and an adult. Moscow’s military also reported striking a cement and asbestos plant in Kyiv, alleging its warehouses were used to house explosives, alongside a separate drone and munitions manufacturing site.
Cross-Border Strikes and Financial Pressures in Kyiv
As long-range aerial exchanges intensified, border areas inside Russia also sustained damage. Alexander Shuvayev, the acting governor of the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, stated that a missile attack killed two people and injured 16 others following a Ukrainian hit on a commercial facility that set seven warehouses ablaze. Additionally, Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed governor of the Russian-controlled part of the Luhansk region, reported that one person was killed in a Ukrainian attack on a mine. Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian refineries, pumping stations, storage depots, and online retailers such as Wildberries and Ozon, accusing the platforms of selling military-aid goods, which the companies deny.
Amid the military escalations, newly appointed Ukrainian defense minister Yevhenii Khmara addressed the financial pressures facing the country’s war effort. Khmara stated that Ukraine wants to bring forward a portion of a European Union loan earmarked for next year to cover a $27 billion budget deficit, while also noting that the military has tested four potential interceptors to counter the jet-powered drones Russia is deploying against Kyiv. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy announced preparations for further communication with representatives of the U.S. President, Donald Trump, emphasizing efforts to explore diplomatic options.
