Russian strikes cut power in Ukraine as Kyiv death toll rises to three

Overnight strikes on energy infrastructure

Russia attacked Ukraine again overnight into 14 October with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at energy supply and other critical infrastructure. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used 39 ballistic missiles and more than 102 drones, causing significant damage at 26 power-sector facilities and four oil and gas sites. He said at least 600,000 households were left without power, while other reports put the figure at 600,000 people. Zelensky accused Moscow of ignoring a call from US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire on attacks on energy facilities, describing the strike as deliberate and a demonstrative disregard for America. He also asked Trump for harsher sanctions on Russia and for additional Patriot air defence systems, which he said are effective against ballistic missiles and which Ukraine lacks.

Casualties and damage

Ukraine's civil protection put the death toll in Kyiv at three, up from the at least two that Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported earlier, when he also counted more than 20 injured. Reports said a nine-storey residential building in the Desnianskyi district caught fire after a hit, and a heating plant was struck as well. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were killed and six injured in attacks during the evening and overnight, according to civil protection. Zelensky also faulted the authorities of Kyiv for poor preparation before the coming winter, a line of criticism aimed at Klitschko.

Warnings and US intelligence

Zelensky complained that Russia faces too few obstacles, writing on Telegram that the missiles were only picked up by radar as they neared the capital and that no warning had come from partners. He did not name any partner, but said Ukraine needs a strong America, a strong Europe and partners who really help, and he called for effective pressure on Russia.

That is not fair at all when they destroy energy facilities and Ukraine does not even receive warnings about the launch of ballistic missiles.

The US government rejected reports that military information was no longer being shared with Ukraine, and Trump told a reporter that Washington had not stopped and was sharing intelligence. Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha told the Warsaw Security Forum that the exchange of intelligence data with the United States continues. He said the air-raid alarm had indeed gone off late, linked the delay to a special type of weapon used by Russia, and gave no details about that weapon.

Russian claims and drone strikes

Russia's defence ministry in Moscow said it hit communication and energy infrastructure in Kyiv, its surroundings and the Kharkiv region, which it said served the defence industry and Ukraine's armed forces. It also claimed to have downed 902 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and annexed Crimea, figures that cannot be independently verified. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram that 493 Ukrainian drones had flown toward the Moscow region overnight, most of them intercepted far from the city, with 180 shot down on their approach to Moscow. Attacks on Kyiv's power supply have intensified for weeks, causing power and water outages and at times halting the metro. Ukraine has responded by striking Russian energy infrastructure, including refineries and oil depots.

Starlink and the diesel deal

Serhii Sternenko, a civil activist and military adviser to Zelensky, wrote on X that Starlink terminals in Ukraine had been restricted overnight, with connection failures above 160 km/h that interrupted several critical missions. He speculated the measure was taken at the request of the Trump administration, but said there was no evidence for this so far, and Zelensky had not commented on the outages. Separately, Trump announced on Friday, 9 October, an agreement with Vladimir Putin on deliveries of Russian diesel, which went around sanctions imposed by the West and the United States. After Zelensky criticised the arrangement, Trump called for his replacement and for new elections in Ukraine. Trump, under pressure over fuel prices that rose during the Iran war, is now pressing for an end to the mutual strikes.