Russia launches massive attack on Ukraine energy infrastructure

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 10:06 · Archive

Russia launched a multi-wave bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Tuesday, knocking out power across swathes of the country.

Russia launched a sweeping multi-wave bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Tuesday, knocking out power across swathes of the country with missiles and drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had launched 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, hitting power plants and substations from the Black Sea port of Odesa in the south to Rivne in the west.

Ukraine's largest private energy-generating company DTEK said three of its five thermal power plants had been knocked offline. Ukrainian officials said the damage forced power outages across the capital Kyiv and at least six other regions. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said railways were also hit, damaging passenger carriages, locomotives and a train station.

In a separate incident, a Russian strike on a logistics facility in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, in the Kyiv region, sparked a major fire, injuring one man. The strike involved 128 attack drones and two Kh-35 guided missiles launched from the Black Sea. Ukrainian air defences shot down or suppressed 105 drones but recorded impacts at 18 locations.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its troops struck Ukrainian electricity facilities in several regions that supply power to military factories and the Ukrainian army. The attack came a week before US-brokered peace talks are due to resume. Zelenskiy called for additional air defences for Ukraine, noting the timing of the strikes.

Russian officials said Ukraine had set fire to a major oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl in an overnight drone attack. Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian oil refineries this year. US President Donald Trump announced in September and October that both sides had agreed to halt attacks on energy targets, although neither side confirmed this.

How it is being reported

• Ukraine: Russian drone and missile attack sparks fire in Kyiv regionA Russian strike on a logistics facility in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, in the Kyiv region, injured one man and sparked a major fire, with emergency crews battling the flames following an overnight attack involving 128 drones and two missiles.Euronews · 5 Nov, 09:44
• Russia bombards Ukraine power grid before Abu Dhabi talks; Merz urges Moscow to engageIn more than four years of war, Russia has repeatedly targeted the Ukrainian energy system as winter approaches.The Japan Times · 3 Nov, 22:12
• Russian strikes knock out power to swathes of Ukraine; Kyiv hits Russian refineryRussia launched a sweeping, multi-wave bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Tuesday, knocking out power to swathes of the country with missiles and drones.New York Post · 3 Nov, 14:59
• Russia unleashes massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructurePower plants and substations hit in nine regions as Ukraine’s air force struggles to intercept missiles and dronesFinancial Times · 3 Nov, 14:24

In this story: Russia · Ukraine · Volodymyr Zelenskiy · Kyiv · Sergii Koretskyi · DTEK · Donald Trump · Yaroslavl

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log