Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s energy grid, causing widespread blackouts and prompting Kyiv to seek urgent U.S. military aid.

Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on October 16, 2025, firing over 300 drones and 37 missiles, causing widespread blackouts across eight regions, including Kyiv and Poltava, and damaging natural gas facilities for the sixth time this month. Ukrainian officials blamed Russia for using cluster munitions and targeting repair crews, calling it a strategy to “weaponize winter.” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meeting U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, is seeking additional military aid, including long-range cruise missiles and advanced air defenses, as Ukraine faces increasing strain from sustained aerial assaults along a 1,000-kilometer front line.