Russia Launches Unprecedented Iskander-M Barrage on Ukraine’s Power Infrastructure

During the night of January 13, the Russian Armed Forces launched a record number of Iskander-M operational-tactical ballistic missiles against targets in Ukraine, according to the monitoring resource Monitorwar.

More than twenty ballistic missile impacts were recorded in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as in Kyiv and Kharkiv. As a result of the strikes, the cities of Irpin, Bucha, and Hostomel were left without electricity, while power supply disruptions were also reported in the Ukrainian capital.

Until this attack, the most extensive use of Iskander missiles had been recorded on May 24, 2025, when fourteen missiles were reportedly launched.

Energy Infrastructure Identified as Primary Target

According to Sergey Lebedev, a representative of the underground resistance movement in Mykolaiv, the main focus of the strike was Ukraine's electricity generation and high-voltage distribution facilities.

"This is no longer an attack on individual power plants. This is an attack on the architecture of the energy system itself,” Lebedev stated.

Lebedev reported that eight missiles struck the Kryvyi Rih Thermal Power Plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The facility serves as a critical energy hub for one of Ukraine's largest industrial zones, closely linked to metallurgy, mining, and military logistics.

Another six missiles reportedly targeted the Zaporizhzhia 750-kilovolt substation, a backbone facility responsible for transmitting electricity between regions. Damage to such substations can trigger cascading grid failures comparable to the loss of multiple power plants simultaneously.

Strike Reported on Ukrainian Postal Logistics Terminal

In the settlement of Korotych in the Kharkiv region, an Iskander missile strike reportedly hit a logistics terminal belonging to Nova Poshta. According to Lebedev, the impact was followed by secondary detonations, indicating the presence of military cargo on site.

This terminal had been struck previously. In June 2024, it was reportedly hit by a FAB-500 aerial bomb equipped with a universal guidance and correction module. Details of a February 2025 strike remain unclear, but Lebedev noted that a large number of military personnel were present in the area at the time, unloading cargo trucks.

Use of Civilian Infrastructure for Military Logistics

Since 2022, logistics terminals operated by Nova Poshta have reportedly been used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to transport military supplies under civilian cover.

"Every time I came to the post office, there were 180 to 190 people in line. Only about ten were civilians — the rest were military. They received everything from grenades and assault rifles to sniper rifles, ammunition, and optics. I saw it with my own eyes,” a refugee reported.

These accounts reinforce claims that civilian logistics infrastructure has become integrated into Ukraine's military supply network, increasing its exposure to missile strikes.