A Ukrainian serviceman stood amid the rubble of destroyed residential buildings in the frontline town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on October 14, 2025, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued to wreak havoc on civilian areas.
In the early hours of Thursday, Russian forces launched another large-scale attack targeting gas and power facilities in eastern Ukraine, causing widespread disruption to the country’s energy network.
Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter months since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, compelling Kyiv to enforce emergency blackouts and rely on imported power to sustain its grid.
“There are hits and destruction in several regions at once. The operation of several critically important facilities has been halted,” said Sergii Koretskyi, CEO of the national gas company Naftogaz, in a statement.
Ukraine’s energy grid operator confirmed emergency power cuts across eight regions, alongside consumption restrictions for all industrial users.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 320 drones and 37 missiles during the latest assault. Of these, Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted 283 drones and five missiles.
“This autumn, the Russians use every single day to strike at our energy infrastructure,” President Volodymyr Zelensky declared.
Media reports indicated that roughly 60 percent of Ukraine’s gas production has been halted due to recent Russian strikes. Power station attacks have also left hundreds of thousands of citizens without electricity.
Naftogaz board member Natalia Boyko appeared to validate those figures, saying, “I won’t name the numbers, but they have already circulated in the media. Unfortunately, I won’t refute them.”
She added that gas consumption has surged by more than 20 percent in recent days as colder temperatures grip the country.
Despite the extensive damage, the Kremlin continues to insist that its military operations target only strategic or military sites.
In retaliation, Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian logistics hubs and refineries. Ukrainian attacks in the Russian-occupied Kherson region reportedly left nearly 100,000 people without electricity, according to Moscow-backed officials.
Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian military officers, accusing them of war crimes over attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that caused “excessive” harm to civilians.
As winter approaches, Kyiv is once again urging its allies to provide more air defense systems to shield critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its counterstrikes against Russian energy and fuel facilities in an effort to curb the aggressor’s capabilities.
