Russia targets Ukraine energy grid and bridges with massive drone and missile strikes

Russia has launched massive aerial assaults targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and transit arteries, signaling the start of a methodical winter offensive. Recent strikes involved nearly 190 drones and ballistic missiles, including the newly deployed Geran-4 jet-powered drone. This specialized munition is designed to destroy high-voltage transmission towers and steel structures using a 40-kilogram payload and auxiliary modules.

The attacks have caused emergency blackouts in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr, and have severely impacted Ukrainian commerce, with economic losses estimated at $45 million per hour. In Kyiv, strikes on the Southern Bridge and other crossings have partially or fully suspended major transit routes across the Dnipro river.

Reports indicate Moscow may be preparing a larger strike package of up to 1,000 missiles and drones aimed at distribution nodes near the Rivne, South Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants. The objective appears to be reducing electricity and heat supplies by up to 90 percent. The escalation has prompted Romania to scramble fighter jets to secure its airspace following drone activity near its borders, while a drone crashed in Moldova.