Russia begins air campaign targeting Ukrainian energy grid with barrage against Kyiv power plants

Published September 30, 2026 12:41pm ET | Updated September 30, 2026 12:41pm ET



Russia’s anticipated air campaign targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure began Tuesday night into Wednesday, with drones and ballistic missiles hitting power plants and other energy infrastructure in and around Kyiv and across the rest of the country.

Mass missile and drone strikes on Ukraine have become routine, but the night was unique in the choice of targets. Instead of previous months’ focus on warehouses, logistics centers, supermarkets, industrial centers, and, more recently, telecommunications and data centers, Moscow focused its barrage almost entirely on power plants, substations, and other energy infrastructure.

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