More Than 1 Million in Kyiv Without Power After Russian Strikes, Zelensky Says

More than one million people in Kyiv were without electricity Tuesday evening after Russian strikes hit Ukraine’s capital, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The outages followed a large overnight attack in which hundreds of Russian drones and missiles crossed Ukraine’s skies, striking energy facilities across the country. Residents described hearing the whistle of incoming weapons, followed by flashes and powerful explosions.

According to Ukraine’s newly appointed energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, not a single power plant was spared from Russian attacks over the past four years of war.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said heating had been restored to about 1,600 high-rise buildings in the capital, but around 4,000 others were still without heat after critical infrastructure was damaged.

As global leaders gather this week in Davos, Switzerland, for the annual World Economic Forum, Zelensky said he would attend only if the talks produced concrete results for Ukraine.

Media reports earlier this month said Zelensky and US President Donald Trump could sign an $800 billion postwar reconstruction agreement there, but Zelensky said only that Ukrainian officials would meet with US and European counterparts.

“No one needs empty politics or talks with no results,” Zelensky said in a video address. “Air defense missiles are needed daily. Weapons are needed daily.”

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