Ukraine Endures Major Russian Air Assault
In the early hours of February 12, 2026, Russia launched a massive, multi-vector air assault against Ukraine, deploying 244 aerial weapons including ballistic missiles and drones. Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted and destroyed 213 of these incoming threats. The primary targets of the attack were energy infrastructure and residential areas in the regions of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kharkiv. This relentless bombardment resulted in civilian casualties, injuries, significant structural damage, and widespread power outages across the affected areas.
Widespread Damage and Civilian Suffering
In Kyiv, approximately 2,600 apartment buildings were left without heating. In the Desnianskyi district, 107,000 households temporarily lost electricity. In the Darnytskyi district, missile debris damaged the facade of a 16-story building, while in the Dniprovskyi district, two people were injured: a 45-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman. In Dnipropetrovsk region, four people, including two children, sustained injuries. A hospitalized baby boy, less than a month old, is in moderate condition, and a 4-year-old girl was also hurt. In the Synelnykivskyi district of Dnipropetrovsk region, an infrastructure facility and a kindergarten were damaged.
In Odesa, a 9-story residential building was struck, destroying its facade wall and roof. The attack also resulted in the destruction of 15 private cars and damage to 31 high-voltage substations. In the city of Lozova, Kharkiv region, two people—a man and a woman—were killed, and six residents were wounded. This assault marks the eleventh massive attack on DTEK thermal power plants since October 2025, bringing the total number of attacks on DTEK facilities to over 220 since the start of the full-scale invasion. These systematic strikes represent a deliberate Russian strategy to cripple Ukraine's power grid, especially during the winter months.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, more than 1,100 apartment buildings in the Desnianskyi and Darnytskyi districts remain without heat due to critical damage to the Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant, making it currently impossible to restore the heating supply. DTEK representatives reported that the destruction is extensive, and repairs will require a significant amount of time to restore the equipment to working order. They stated that they are doing everything possible to quickly mitigate the attack's consequences, including restoring power to critical infrastructure sites.
This latest barrage is part of Russia's ongoing campaign to exert pressure on Ukraine by systematically destroying its energy infrastructure and creating a humanitarian crisis. The situation in the country remains tense, as rebuilding this critical infrastructure will demand substantial resources and time, severely impacting the daily lives of citizens. It also raises profound concerns for civilian safety as Russian aggression continues unabated.