Russia launched a massive wave of drones and missiles against Ukrainian gas facilities on Thursday, causing widespread power outages as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew to Washington for talks with Donald Trump over the potential supply of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian air force reported that more than 300 attack drones and 37 missiles, many of them ballistic, were launched, with 283 drones and five missiles shot down. Strikes hit regions including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy and Vinnytsia, and the Shebelinka gas processing plant in the Kharkiv region was engulfed in flames after being hit shortly after 5.30am.
The attacks forced Ukraine's state grid operator, Ukrenergo, to impose emergency power cuts across the country. Sergii Koretskyi, chief executive of the gas company Naftogaz, said there were hits and destruction in several regions at once, halting operation of critically important facilities. Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have been a recurring tactic each winter since the invasion, causing emergency blackouts and reliance on imports.
The latest bombardment came as Ukraine's military reported that North Korean troops based in Russia had been operating drones on reconnaissance missions across the border – the first such battlefield role reported in months. Thousands of North Korean soldiers fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region last year before being withdrawn after heavy casualties.
Zelenskyy is expected in Washington on Friday for talks with Trump, following two telephone calls. Their relationship has warmed since a fraught White House meeting in February. Senior Ukrainian officials have met representatives of US weapons manufacturers, including Raytheon, which produces Tomahawk missiles. Zelenskyy will also meet arms makers to discuss delivery schedules, though a source said a political signal is needed.
Russia has warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine, which would bring Moscow and other cities within range, would rupture ties with Washington and escalate the conflict. The source declined to specify how many missiles are under consideration, saying only that the arsenal would be "enough for Putin to feel it".
