Russia attacked Ukraine with 154 drones in the overnight aerial attack

Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine overnight on January 11, launching 154 Shahed-type drones across multiple regions. Ukrainian air defenses were active for hours, intercepting and destroying a significant portion of the incoming drones. The attack primarily targeted energy infrastructure and civilian objects in the southern and eastern parts of the country, including Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson oblasts, causing power outages and fires at several facilities.

Ukrainian officials reported no immediate fatalities, but damage to power substations and residential areas left thousands without electricity amid freezing temperatures. Emergency crews worked through the night to restore services and contain fires, while the nationwide air raid alert lasted several hours.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast suffers power outages for the second time this week as Ukraine confronts its most challenging electricity situation this winter

Zaporizhzhia Oblast and parts of neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast were left completely without electricity overnight on January 11 amid Russian attacks and heavy snowfall, Ukrainian authorities said.

Power in Zaporizhzhia Oblast was fully restored by the morning, according to regional grid operator Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo. The blackout began at 2:11 a.m. local time, with critical infrastructure reconnected within an hour. Hospitals continued operating on backup generators, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Electricity outages also disrupted water supply in parts of Zaporizhzhia, while sections of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including the city of Dnipro, experienced power cuts due to damage to high-voltage infrastructure, Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK reported.

Authorities said Russian forces carried out 821 strikes on 27 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours. The outages come as temperatures drop below -10°C (14°F), worsening the impact on civilians.

Earlier this week, Russian strikes on energy facilities left both Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts nearly without power. President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the attacks, saying they have no military purpose and are aimed at depriving civilians of electricity and heating during winter.

Russia used the Hieran-5 strike drone against Ukraine for the first time

The drone is about six meters long with a wingspan of up to 5.5 meters and uses a 12-channel satellite navigation system. It carries a warhead weighing around 90 kilograms and has a reported range of roughly 1,000 kilometers.

Russia is also exploring launching the Geran-5 from aircraft to extend its range and lower operating costs, and is separately considering equipping it with R-73 air-to-air missiles to counter Ukrainian aircraft.

Over 1,000 buildings in Kyiv remain without heating after Russian strikes

Kyiv’s energy situation remains difficult and is expected to stay that way in the coming days, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on January 11, highlighting the impact of Russian strikes on civilians.

More than 1,000 buildings in the capital remain without heat following Russia’s mass attack overnight on January 9. In the immediate aftermath, heating was cut off in around 6,000 apartment buildings — nearly half of Kyiv’s housing stock.

Water supply disruptions in some areas have since been fully resolved, Klitschko said. However, he stressed that the overall energy situation remains very challenging, noting that electricity is critical for the operation of both heating and water systems.

Conditions are particularly severe on the left bank of the Dnipro River, where residents have had electricity for only about five hours in total over the past 72 hours.

Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko informed that the electricity supply in Kyiv will be improved, most likely on Thursday, 15 January.