Russian Overnight Strikes Kill Four, Hit Dnipro Apartment Block and Energy Infrastructure Across Ukraine

KYIV — A Russian drone struck a nine-story apartment building in Dnipro early Saturday while many residents slept, starting a fire that destroyed several flats and killing three people, Ukrainian emergency services said. A fourth person, an energy company worker, was reported killed in Kharkiv after a separate strike on power infrastructure, officials said.

Widespread missile and drone barrage

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched a large operation that included 458 drones and 45 missiles, among them 32 ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defenses intercepted and neutralized most of the incoming devices, reporting they shot down 406 drones and 9 missiles, though around 25 sites were struck across the country.

Energy infrastructure damaged and power cuts

Authorities ordered temporary power cuts in several regions as crews worked to restore heating, electricity and water. Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said the strikes damaged "several major energy facilities" near Kharkiv, Kyiv and in Poltava region. State energy company Centrenergo reported that thermal plants it operates — already repaired after last year’s strikes — were again knocked offline.

Kyiv has accused Moscow of intentionally targeting civilian energy systems in an effort to deprive people of heat and water this winter; the Kremlin says its strikes focus on military and energy sites that support Ukraine’s war effort.

Cross-border strikes and Russian reporting

Russian regional officials reported repelling a “massive” strike on energy facilities in Volgograd and said their forces shot down 82 Ukrainian drones overnight. In neighboring Saratov, two people were reported wounded after a drone strike shattered apartment windows. Russian and Ukrainian claims about attacks on both sides could not be independently verified.

Russian nuclear test planning

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state media that work has begun to prepare plans for a possible Russian nuclear test following President Vladimir Putin’s order. The move followed comments from U.S. President Donald Trump that some interpreted as suggesting the U.S. might resume nuclear testing; Lavrov said Russia had received no official clarification from Washington.

Energy warfare and international responses

Ukraine has recently struck Russian refineries with long-range drones in an effort to curb oil exports that Kyiv says finance the Kremlin’s war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will "find a way to ensure there is no Russian oil in Europe" after Hungary won an exemption from U.S. sanctions targeting major Russian oil firms. Budapest argues it has few alternatives to Russian crude; critics dispute that claim.

“We will not allow it. We will not let the Russians sell oil there. It’s a matter of time,”

Fighting for Pokrovsk

Heavy fighting continues around the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, part of a fortified belt of towns Kyiv says are vital to its defense. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed advances and encirclements near Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Kupiansk; Kyiv described the situation as serious but said there was no complete blockade and that fighting persists. These battlefield claims have not been independently verified.

Humanitarian impact: Rescue teams recovered three bodies from the Dnipro apartment building, and 12 people — including two children — were treated for injuries. Authorities emphasized efforts to restore essential services and assist affected civilians.

Reporting by AP journalists and local officials contributed to this account. Details, including casualty figures and claims from both sides, remain subject to confirmation as recovery and assessments continue.