Ukraine braces for brutal winter as Zelenskyy warns virtually no thermal plants remain intact
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ukraine braces for brutal winter as Zelenskyy warns virtually no thermal plants remain intact")
This handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian State Emergency Service on August 8, 2026 shows a burning building following Russian ballistic missile strikes in Kyiv region, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Photograph: (AFP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a brutal winter as Russian strikes damaged Ukraine's thermal power infrastructure, while fresh attacks killed four people, including a child, in the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday (August 08) that the country faces a difficult winter with virtually no working thermal power plants, as fresh Russian strikes killed four people, including a child, in the Kyiv region.
Zelensky issued the warning during his visit to Belgrade, where he met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. He said Russia's latest overnight attacks and shelling across frontline communities killed 13 people in the past 24 hours.
"Russian missiles are aimed precisely at making the lives of Ukrainians unbearable," Zelensky told reporters during his first official visit to Belgrade. He also highlighted the repeated targeting of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Zelensky said Ukraine had been left with "virtually no intact thermal power plants" as the country prepares for the upcoming heating season. He said these plants play an important role alongside nuclear power in supplying electricity to the national grid.
Fresh Russian strikes kill four in Kyiv region
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The warning came after Russia launched another overnight barrage of missiles and drones, with the latest strikes hitting Kyiv and surrounding areas.
Zelensky said Russian shelling had also targeted communities across the frontline, leaving dozens injured. He said a three-year-old boy was among those killed in a strike on a village outside Kyiv.
A regional military official said three people, including a child, were killed in strikes on the Brovary district northeast of Kyiv. Three others were wounded in the attacks.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, said the strikes hit the Brovary district as Kyiv warned of incoming ballistic missiles.
"Four more people were hospitalised: the child's parents, his 15-year-old brother, and a neighbour who came to the family's aid and was wounded in a double-tap strike," Zelensky said in an earlier post to X.
Russia has significantly increased its attacks on Kyiv in recent months. The attacks often involve salvos of ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and are launched in short bursts.
The latest escalation comes more than four years after the Russia-Ukraine war began. Both sides have intensified long-range strikes, resulting in a growing number of civilian casualties.
