The Attack
On July 16, 2025, Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine, deploying 400 Shahed‑style drones and one ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Cities across the country—including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Vinnytsia—were targeted, with the primary aim of damaging energy infrastructure and disrupting civilian utilities
Ukraine’s air defences successfully engaged most of the assault, shooting down the majority of drones. Still, 12 targets were hit—57 drones evaded interception—and the missile caused significant damage in multiple regions. At least 15 people were wounded in the attack, and power was cut for roughly 80,000 families in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including Kryvyi Rih
Infrastructure Disruption
Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, confirmed widespread outages, particularly in Kryvyi Rih and surrounding communities. Authorities reported that entire substations and energy facilities were damaged, leaving households without heating, electricity, or water service. Officials noted prolonged restoration efforts would be needed to reinstate full service
Nature of the Drone Threat
The drones used are Iranian-style Shaheds and thermobaric-equipped 90 kg variants, increasingly used in mass swarm tactics. These weaponized drones pack a potent destructive punch, allowing for precise strikes on civilian infrastructure that can penetrate air defences and cause long-lasting destruction to substations, turbines, and power grids
Expert assessments note Russia now regularly employs hundreds of low-cost drones in coordinated swarms alongside ballistic or cruise missile barrages—designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defence systems and maximize disruption across multiple regions .
Strategic Intent
The broader objective appears to be crippling Ukraine’s electricity capabilities across the country. Such attacks aim to weaken societal resilience, hinder industrial and military logistics, and sow destabilization among the civilian population—especially ahead of the approaching winter season when utilities are critical .
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, calling it an escalation of deliberate terror tactics, and asked Western allies to increase sanctions and provide more advanced air defence systems—including Patriot batteries—to counter escalating threats.
Historical Context
This strike aligns with a series of large-scale drone and missile attacks launched by Russia in June and July 2025. In prior incidents, Russia dispatched up to 728 drones in a single night, and inflicted mass outages by hitting substations, hydroelectric plants, and thermal power stations across regions like Kyiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia .
Such tactics have brought concerns that energy disruptions may impact nuclear power plant operation—forcing temporary shutdowns or scaling back generation for safety reasons.
What Comes Next
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Air defence requests: Ukraine is pressing Western nations for additional air defence support. With escalating drone swarm tactics, the demand for systems like Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T is increasing Diplomatic pressure: Zelenskyy’s government and allies are calling for harsher sanctions and coordinated action to deter further infrastructure attacks.
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Energy restoration: Utility providers are racing to rebuild damaged substations and restart power lines to affected cities and towns.
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Winter preparedness: As colder months approach, the stakes rise sharply—continued targeting of energy networks could produce humanitarian crises and impact Ukraine’s resilience.