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Russian missiles hit power plant in Kyiv

According to Ukrainian authorities, ballistic missiles hit a major heat and power plant and a residential building.

Follow-up to: Zelensky had no warning of Russian missile attack on Kyiv Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 14:59

Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv on Tuesday evening, reportedly striking a major power plant and a residential building, according to Ukrainian authorities. One person was killed and 13 injured, Kyiv’s mayor reported.

The attack took place at around 10.40 pm local time on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Darnytska CHP-4 combined heat and power plant, one of the capital’s key energy facilities, was the main target. A nine-storey building was also hit.

The information about the damage and number of casualties comes from Ukrainian authorities and was reported by international media. Kyiv Post, citing mayor Vitali Klitschko, reported that four of the injured were in a serious condition. In the first hours after the attack, there had been no independent technical assessment of the damage to the plant.

According to Zelensky, five ballistic missiles were fired and Ukraine received no advance warning from Western partners. The president said such warnings could help people take shelter in time. President Donald Trump previously said that the United States would continue sharing intelligence with Ukraine; it is unclear what information was available before the attack.

The attack follows a US call for a so-called energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. On Sunday, Trump said both countries had agreed not to attack each other’s energy infrastructure, but did not make a detailed agreement public. Ukraine has since reported several attacks on energy facilities and said it was prepared for a mutual and verifiable ceasefire.

The timing makes the attack politically sensitive. Ukraine is trying to prepare for winter, when damage to electricity generation and heating networks could have an immediate impact on households, hospitals and public transport. Kyiv has been targeted more frequently by Russian drones and missiles in recent weeks, with bridges, logistics sites and other critical infrastructure also hit.

Moscow has not issued a separate statement about the attack on CHP-4 in the sources consulted. Russia generally denies targeting civilians and says it attacks military targets. In the initial reporting, there was no independent confirmation of the Russian account of this specific strike.

The Ukrainian authorities will need to establish the full extent of the damage and the consequences for heating supplies. Two questions are particularly important for the international debate: whether the energy ceasefire was ever formally and verifiably recorded, and what role allies play in providing early warnings of ballistic attacks.

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