Russia Launches Massive Strikes on Ukrainian Hospitals and Rail

Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine using 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles, striking energy infrastructure across nine regions and a city clinical hospital in Kharkiv. The hospital strike injured at least 73 people and damaged the cardiology department. In the Zhytomyr region, over 180,000 people lost power. The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed the energy sites supplied the Ukrainian army and military factories.

Simultaneously, the Federal Government of Russia expanded its campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure by deploying faster, jet-powered drones capable of striking moving trains. This shift has forced the state train operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, to implement real-time monitoring and frequent evacuations. In 2026, the rail network has suffered over 1,700 attacks, including a recent strike on a station platform in Dnipro that killed 15 people and injured 14.

In retaliation, Ukraine executed a drone attack that caused a fire at a Russian oil refinery in Yaroslavl, injuring two employees. These escalations occur as US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff prepares for peace talks in Abu Dhabi and Brussels to discuss post-war security and reconstruction.