Russian Strikes Plunge Million Ukrainians into Cold, Dark Winter

• Over a million people in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region lack heat and water after heavy Russian drone and missile strikes damaged critical energy infrastructure.
• The overnight assault also cut electricity in neighboring Zaporizhzhia amid freezing temperatures, worsening conditions for civilians.
• Ukrainian air defenses downed 70 of 97 Russian drones, but remaining 27 hit energy facilities, causing widespread outages.
• Kyiv condemns the attacks as a deliberate Russian strategy to inflict suffering, while repair crews work to restore services.
• Hospitals use backup generators, schools extend holidays, and "Points of Invincibility" offer aid as humanitarian strain deepens.

Why It Matters: Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy grid leave over a million without essentials, deepening a humanitarian crisis.