Intense Russian Bombardment Targets Ukraine's Power Grid, Cutting Electricity in 5 Regions

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was subjected to overnight Russian strikes described as "massive" between the night of Friday, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, resulting in power outages across five regions, Ukraine's Ministry of Energy announced in an official statement.

The ministry explained that the damage affected transmission and distribution networks in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv, depriving large numbers of consumers of electricity. Official sources confirmed that energy facilities around the capital were particularly damaged, hindering power supply to Kyiv and its surrounding areas, while technical crews continue repair attempts amid severe difficulties caused by frequent air raid alerts.

Ballistic Missiles and Large-Scale Drones

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed on social media platforms that the Russian attack was carried out using 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones, directly targeting the energy sector. Zelenskyy reported that the strikes left at least nine people injured, including a child, and impacted around ten regions across the country.

The Ukrainian president considered these attacks an attempt by Russia to exert pressure ahead of the trilateral meeting scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, which brings together envoys from Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow to revive negotiations. Zelenskyy renewed his call to the United States and the U.S. Congress to strengthen bilateral support and redouble attention to his country in the face of repeated strikes.

Traffic Paralysis and Worsening Winter Crisis

In the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the overnight strikes inflicted severe damage on energy facilities and a vital crossing, the North Bridge spanning the Dnipro River, bringing traffic on it to a halt. Klitschko pointed out that the power supply situation has become extremely difficult, which has negatively affected the efficiency of heating networks and water supply in the city.

Humanitarian concerns are growing as winter approaches, particularly with the spread of private power generators in the streets amid discontent among a section of residents over the pace of crisis management. Klitschko had faced high-level criticism, with President Zelenskyy stating that the capital was not sufficiently prepared to protect its facilities and counter the attacks compared to other regions in the country.