Overnight Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power in Ukraine

A UN worker in Ukraine inspects a building damaged in the ongoing war with Russia. (file)

A new wave of overnight strikes and frontline hostilities in Ukraine has caused further civilian casualties and damage to critical energy infrastructure, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

Several civilians were killed and nearly 30 injured, including children, according to local authorities. Homes in seven regions, as well as in the capital Kyiv, were damaged.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported “tragic” incidents in which one child was killed and three others were injured in Kyiv, Vyshhorod and Zhytomyr.

“Children are facing another difficult and terrifying winter. Young lives are threatened, and heating, power and water supplies are disrupted,” UNICEF said in a social media post, calling for an end to the attacks.

Critical Infrastructure Hit

Drone strikes damaged more than 120 residential buildings in the Odesa region, OCHA said. Key energy, port and transport infrastructure — particularly in the port town of Reni near the Romanian border — was also hit.

The attacks left more than 10,000 customers without electricity, while critical facilities were forced to operate on backup power.

Further north, strikes damaged energy facilities in Novhorod-Siverskyi in the Chernihiv region and in Shostka town in the Sumy region.

Parts of Shostka, which had already been heavily affected by earlier attacks, were left without electricity and heating once again.

Power Outages Amid Winter Weather

Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy also reported large-scale power outages in the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and Ternopil regions, with additional disruptions recorded in six other regions.

“With the onset of the cold season, the most vulnerable people need support the most. This violence must stop, and civilians must be protected,” OCHA said in a separate statement.

Nearly four years have passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Humanitarian Support Continues

Over the past 11 months, the UN and humanitarian partners have provided emergency assistance to more than 430,000 people across the country following strikes.

Support has included essential medical supplies, healthcare services and cash assistance, primarily in frontline regions. However, needs are also rising in areas previously less affected as attacks expand.

OCHA said an inter-agency convoy delivered eight metric tonnes of humanitarian aid to the community of Novoraiske in the Kherson region on Tuesday.

The supplies included medical and hygiene items, charging stations, children’s clothing and mattresses.

Novoraiske is home to around 1,900 people, more than 200 of them children. Several areas there remain without access to water, gas or electricity due to continued hostilities, OCHA added.