[UPDATED: Mar. 19, 9:59 am, Kyiv time. Updated at 8:35 with comments from the military administrations of the Sumy and Kyiv regions, the State Emergency Service, and the Air Force of Ukraine.
Updated at 9:59 with a message from Ukrzaliznytsia’s press service.]
[Updated at 9:59]: In the early hours of March 19, Russian forces used drones to strike the railway power system in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrzaliznytsia’s press service reported via Telegram.
As a result of the attack, some areas lost power, but train traffic continues according to schedule.
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Ukrzaliznytsia noted that while crews were working to eliminate the aftermath, Russian forces launched a second strike. No casualties or injuries were reported.
A Ukrzaliznytsia fire train was dispatched to extinguish the blaze at the site.
Oleksandr Shevchenko, Deputy Director and Head of Communications and Customer Experience at Ukrzaliznytsia, shared a video of the incident on LinkedIn, captioning it:
“This is what ‘immediate ceasefire on all energy and infrastructure’ looks like. At 1:20 AM, Russia struck Ukrainian Railways’ energy facilities in the Dnipro region—twice, even as firefighters and a rescue train worked.”
Russia launched an airstrike on the energy infrastructure of Slovyansk, a city of 100,000 people in the Donetsk region, according to local reports.
Kyiv Post sources within the military confirmed that part of the city is now without electricity.
Meanwhile, explosions were reported in Kramatorsk, where guided aerial bombs reportedly struck residential areas.
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Kyiv, Moscow Trade Blame on Energy Ceasefire Violation Right After Trump-Putin Call
The Kremlin accused Kyiv of “derailing” the ceasefire on energy targets agreed to late Tuesday because Kyiv responded shortly after Moscow launched drones at Ukraine in the wake of the announcement.
Ukrainian military correspondent Bohdan Miroshnykov wrote that the strike on Slovyansk’s energy infrastructure was carried out using an aerial bomb.
The attacks took place less than an hour after Trump and Putin had negotiated a 30-day ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities.
Kyiv Post reporters in the capital also heard anti-aircraft guns shooting at drones.
Late on March 18, explosions were heard in Kyiv, with the first blasts reported around 11:01 p.m. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed on Telegram that air defense systems were active on the right bank of the city, urging residents to remain in shelters.
Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Timur Tkachenko, also advised Kyiv residents to stay in safe places.
Explosions continued intermittently until the air raid warning was lifted at 2:19 a.m. on March 19.
On the evening of March 18, a Russian drone struck the roof of a medical facility in Sumy, shattering windows and damaging the building. According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration (OVA), no casualties existed.
However, early on March 19, Russian forces launched another drone attack on the region. A drone hit the roof of Krasnopil Hospital, marking the second healthcare facility targeted in the Sumy region within hours.
Preliminary information suggests no casualties, but emergency services were deployed to the site. Evacuations were carried out for both patients and hospital staff.
Meanwhile, in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region, a drone attack injured a 60-year-old man. The head of Kyiv OVA, Mykola Kalashnyk, reported on Telegram that the man suffered injuries to both legs and is currently receiving medical care at a local hospital.
The attack also damaged or partially destroyed nine private houses across three settlements in the district. Fires broke out in three townhouses but were successfully extinguished. Additionally, a private house in the Boryspil district sustained damage.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram that since the evening of March 18, Russia has launched attacks using two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles, and 145 Shahed strike UAVs, along with various types of simulator drones, from six directions.
As of 08:00, Ukrainian forces have confirmed the downing of 72 Shahed strike UAVs and other drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa regions.
Additionally, 56 Russian drone simulators lost their intended targets, resulting in no negative consequences.
“As a result of the Russian attack, the Sumy, Odesa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions were affected,” the report read.
This is a developing story.
