Russia struck Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight: There are casualties, injured people and destruction (updated)
The National Police of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, and local oblast military administrations reported that civilians were killed and injured, and significant destruction was reported in Kyiv, as well as the Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblasts, following Russian military shelling on the night of January 5, 2026.
Kyiv rescuers at workThe Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched more than 170 missiles and drones overnight, with strikes recorded in at least 26 locations.
In Kyiv, falling debris hit a private clinic in the Obolonskyi District. As of Monday morning, one person was confirmed dead, and two others were injured.
Another fatality was reported in the Kyiv Oblast, where some residents were left without power. This included the city of Slavutych, located approximately 200 kilometers from Kyiv, which is administratively part of the Vyshhorod District. Residents of Slavutych also faced power outages in October 2025.
Russia also struck the Chernihiv Oblast overnight, causing property damage but resulting in no deaths or injuries.
Along with this, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine also reported that as of January 5, Russian shelling has left residents in the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions without electricity.
The Ministry stated that Russians are intensifying their campaign of aerial terror, damaging energy facilities more than 100 times last week alone.
“Emergency restoration work is underway wherever the security situation allows… The situation is difficult but under control,” the government reported.
Throughout January 5, rolling blackout schedules will be implemented in several regions, and electricity will be imported from abroad to stabilize the grid.
The situation remains most critical in frontline oblasts where ongoing shelling hinders repairs. In the Kharkiv region, an energy crew came under a Russian drone attack, though no injuries were reported.
Emergency services — including rescuers, police, medics, and energy workers — are frequently targeted by the Russian military. The tactic of launching secondary strikes once responders have arrived on the scene is known as “double-tapping.” In nearly four years of shelling, Russian attacks have killed more than 160 energy workers.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed the coalition parties in Germany ahead of the “coalition of the resolute” meeting in Paris, noting that Ukraine is “on the brink of a humanitarian energy crisis.”
According to him, Putin is not seeking a truce in the fourth winter of the war; on the contrary, he has ordered the most severe attacks to date on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. Therefore, Merz accuses the Russian leadership of war crimes, the ZDF public broadcaster reported.
The German government seeks to end the war. However, this is only possible if Ukraine receives genuine security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe this time, Merz emphasized.
As a reminder, over the past week, the Russian military has launched nearly 1,000 drones, more than 1,000 guided aerial bombs, and six missiles at Ukraine.
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Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on X that intelligence is recording growing links between Russia and entities in China that may be providing space-based intelligence, with these data being connected to Russian strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine.
Ukrainian experts point out that countries including China, North Korea, Hungary, Slovakia, Iran, and Brazil assist Moscow in killing Ukrainians in its war against Ukraine by funding the Russian budget through trade.
Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Ukraine would close its embassy in Cuba and downgrade ties over Havana’s complicity in Russian aggression.
Newly appointed Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Andriy Melnyk stated in an interview with Suspilne broadcaster that Brazil paid Russia almost $10 billion for 6.5 million tons of diesel.
Over the last three and a half years, China has become a critically important partner for the Russian Federation. While Beijing officially declares its neutrality, Western intelligence and analytical studies indicate otherwise. For instance, China does not supply weapons directly to Russia, but it provides critically important components, including machinery, microelectronics, specialized chemicals, optics, gunpowder, and ammunition components.
In 2024, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that 70% of heavy industrial equipment and 90% of all microelectronics are sourced from China, which then flows into Russia.
Furthermore, according to recent NATO intelligence data, 80% of all Russian drones consist of Chinese parts.
According to The Telegraph newspaper, Chinese firms supplied sanctioned Russian companies with at least £47 million ($57.4 million USD) worth of parts between 2023 and 2024. Almost a quarter of the value of these supplies went to firms that produce Shahed-type drones.
Moreover, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine stated that China is also providing intelligence to Russia. The Kremlin used this data to prepare missile strikes, particularly against objects belonging to foreign investors, though the specific targets were not clarified. China denies these accusations.
Following the imposition of Western sanctions, Beijing has become a key supplier to Russia of cars, clothing, raw materials, and a range of other goods. In 2023, Russia-China trade turnover set a historic record, exceeding $240 billion, which is more than 60% higher than before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Chinese customs data.
Reuters also reported that China is buying oil and gas from Russia. The average daily volume of oil is more than two million barrels per day. During Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, the countries signed a document for the supply of 106 billion cubic meters of gas per year to China.
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