19:21 20-01-2026

Massive Russian Strikes Hit Ukraine’s Military Infrastructure

Russian forces carried out one of the largest strikes since the start of the operation, hitting military and energy infrastructure across Kiev and multiple regions of Ukraine.

On the night of January 20, the Russian Armed Forces carried out one of the most powerful strikes since the start of the special military operation, targeting military infrastructure deep in Ukrainian rear areas. Explosions were reported across a wide geography, including Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy, Poltava, Vyshgorod, Rovno, Chernomorsk, and the Cherkassy Region.

In the Ukrainian capital, the first hits on energy facilities on the left bank triggered a large-scale power outage. Subsequent strikes led to electricity disruptions in several districts on the right bank of the Dnieper as well.

According to military sources, missile strikes using Iskander-M tactical ballistic systems disabled Kiev’s CHP-4 and CHP-5 plants. Kiev mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that as a result, 5,635 apartment buildings were left without heating.

Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the pro-Russian underground in Ukraine, said the strikes on the capital’s energy infrastructure coincided with peak load conditions in an already weakened power system. He noted that the grid had been undermined by a series of pinpoint attacks earlier in January 2026, and under such circumstances even limited damage was enough to trigger cascading failures and forced shutdowns.

Beyond Kiev itself, strikes hit Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities in Vyshgorod, Brovary, and Bucha-suburban areas surrounding the capital. Within the city, metro traffic was restricted, leading to significant overcrowding at stations.

Power outages along the contact network halted military railway convoys heading toward Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk. In Dnepropetrovsk, the Pridneprovskaya CHP plant also came under attack.

In the Odessa region, Geran drones struck the Malodolinskaya substation, which supplies electricity to the Odessa port, a major railway hub, and warehouse logistics facilities. Lebedev emphasized the site’s critical importance, pointing out that it serves as a key distribution node linking the port, rail transport, and industrial areas.

Another major blow was reported in the suburbs of Rovno, where a mass drone attack disabled an open switchgear facility-a crucial component in transmitting electricity from the Rovno Nuclear Power Plant. This node supplied power not only to European consumers but also to the Rovnoazot military-industrial plant, where explosives are produced. The strikes targeted both energy infrastructure and the plant’s production workshops simultaneously.

On the evening of January 19, Ukrainian monitoring resources had warned that Russian forces had prepared hundreds of missiles and drones for a large-scale nationwide strike. These sources suggested that the operation aimed to plunge Kiev into a blackout lasting three to five days, potentially forcing the evacuation of residents.

The Russian Ministry of Defense regularly stresses that its strikes are directed exclusively at military targets and infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.