Russia hits Kyiv with missiles and drones in deep freeze
Russia launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities overnight on Jan. 20, striking during freezing temperatures and worsening the country’s mounting energy crisis.
Kyiv is facing one of the hardest winters since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency in the energy sector on Jan. 14 following intensified attacks on power facilities, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Explosions were reported in the capital around 2 a.m., with Ukraine’s Air Force warning of incoming ballistic missiles. Additional alerts were later issued for Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnytsia oblasts, followed by reports of MiG-31 bombers equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
A second wave of drones approached the city around 5 a.m., and further missile activity was reported near 6:30 a.m. Local officials said non-residential buildings were damaged and vehicles caught fire in the Dniprovskyi district, where one person was injured. Metro services were also adjusted due to power shortages.
Drone attacks and explosions were also reported in Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv Oblast and Zaporizhzhia, where debris triggered a house fire. Authorities say the strikes are ongoing and the full extent of the damage remains unclear.
Zelensky warned earlier that Russia was preparing a large-scale assault aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Government officials said the campaign may target facilities connected to the country’s nuclear power stations in an effort to disrupt heat and electricity supplies.
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