Russian Missiles Hit Kharkiv, US-Owned Plant Struck in Dnipro

Russia launched a series of missile strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Monday, damaging critical energy infrastructure and injuring at least one civilian, Ukrainian authorities said.

Officials reported that five missiles struck different parts of Kharkiv, targeting facilities linked to heating, electricity, and water supply. The attacks came as temperatures hovered below freezing, worsening conditions for residents who have already been facing prolonged power shortages.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes were aimed at disrupting everyday life rather than military targets. He said the damage to essential services was intended to intimidate civilians and push the city into darkness during winter.

In a separate attack, Russian forces struck an industrial enterprise in the southeastern city of Dnipro owned by US agricultural producer Bunge. The strike caused a major spill of approximately 300 metric tons of sunflower oil after storage facilities were damaged.

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said municipal workers were carrying out cleanup operations and spreading sand and gravel to contain the spill. He added that a major road along the river would remain closed for two to three days during the cleanup process.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike on the US-owned facility was deliberate, noting that Russian forces attempted to hit the site multiple times. He stated that the incident showed Russia was systematically targeting American businesses operating in Ukraine.

Sybiha also said the attacks demonstrated Russia’s disregard for ongoing efforts led by the United States to bring the nearly four-year-long war to an end.

Bunge confirmed that no employees were injured in the attack and said the company is assessing the damage while working with local authorities to limit the environmental impact and restore operations.

Kharkiv, which lies close to the Russian border and is home to more than one million people, has been repeatedly targeted in recent months. Local power providers said residents had been receiving electricity for only part of the day even before the latest strikes.

Since November, Russia has sharply increased attacks on Ukraine’s energy and logistics systems. Large areas of Kyiv were left without heating after heavy strikes in late December, while Odesa experienced near-total power outages for several days. Heating facilities in the Chernihiv region and the southern city of Kherson have also been hit.