Overview
On Jan. 26, Ukrainian officials reported a series of Russian drone and missile strikes that struck multiple parts of the country overnight. The eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, lost electricity amid freezing weather after strikes damaged energy infrastructure. In the south, Odesa suffered a "massive" drone attack that wounded at least 23 people and damaged numerous buildings, officials said.
Kharkiv - power cut and damage
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app that two people were injured in the attack on Kharkiv and two schools were damaged. Unofficial Telegram channels circulated images showing large sections of the city plunged into darkness. Syniehubov said that around 80% of the city and Kharkiv region were without electricity as a result of the strikes.
In a video posted on Telegram, Syniehubov said the energy system had suffered "quite serious damage" and that repair crews were working to restore services. He added that the constant threat of additional air raids was complicating those repair efforts.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russian forces launched 165 drones during the operation, and that air defence units had neutralised 135 of them.
Odesa - casualties and structural damage
Odesa’s military administration head, Serhiy Lysak, described a "massive" drone attack on the southern port city. Regional governor Oleh Kiper said 23 people were injured in the assault. Of those injured, nine people - including two children and a pregnant woman - had been hospitalised, Kiper added.
Authorities warned that people could still be trapped under rubble. The attack caused fires in several locations and damaged dozens of residential buildings, a church, a kindergarten and a high school, according to Kiper. Odesa and its surrounding region, which contains Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, have been frequent targets in recent weeks, officials said.
Additional regional impacts
Neighbouring Mykolaiv region officials reported that energy infrastructure was the main target of a drone attack there; a 59-year-old woman was injured, the regional governor said. In western Ukraine’s Lviv region, which borders Poland, an infrastructure facility was also reported to have come under attack, per the regional governor.
Operational and humanitarian situation
Officials described the damage as affecting both critical energy systems and civilian structures, with ongoing repair work constrained by the threat of continued strikes. Reports of people possibly trapped under rubble and multiple injuries underscore the immediate humanitarian consequences of the overnight operations.
All figures and details above are those reported by Ukrainian regional authorities and the Ukrainian air force on Jan. 26.