Russian attacks on Ukraine's power system in the Dnipropetrovsk region have left 600,000 people without electricity, regional military chief Oleksandr Hanzha said on November 8, as Hanzha reported disruptions to hospitals and public transport.
Hanzha said hospitals had been forced to switch to diesel generators and electric-powered public transport had ground to a halt in Dnipro. "Power company workers are already working to restore power. Their efforts are being hampered by constant Russian shelling," he wrote on social media.
The attacks came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of seeking to apply maximum pressure ahead of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi by plunging "the entire country into a blackout." Zelenskyy reported widespread power outages, noting that in the Zhytomyr region alone, 140 apartment buildings were left without heating following a Russian strike.
Russia began stepping up attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in late September, targeting the sector every winter since its full-scale invasion began in 2022. In October, RFE/RL obtained a detailed Russian document that sets out a blueprint for this year's campaign targeting power generation and supply, water supply, sewage systems, and heating.
Ukraine's armed forces reported that overnight Russia attacked with three Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missiles and 164 strike UAVs, 112 of which were jet-powered. They said 137 drones had been intercepted. Ukrainian authorities said a drone strike on a private residence in a Dnipro suburb caused a fire, and another strike in the city killed one civilian and injured another. Four people were injured in the Poltava region.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have hit an electricity substation "which supplied electricity to Ukrainian defense industry enterprises" and a container ship in the Black Sea "delivering weapons." Authorities in Russia's Kursk region said a 40-year-old man was killed when a tractor was hit in a drone strike. Battlefield claims could not be independently verified.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Energy grid attacks directly affect civilians, with 600,000 losing power in winter conditions, endangering lives as hospitals rely on generators.
- The strikes target critical infrastructure including heating, aiming to break civilian morale and disrupt Ukraine's war effort.
- This escalation comes ahead of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, suggesting Russia is seeking leverage through coercion.
Background
Since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure every winter, aiming to disrupt power, heating, and water supplies. In late September 2024, Russia began intensifying strikes, with a detailed Russian military document obtained by RFE/RL outlining a strategy to attack power generation, supply, water systems, sewage, and heating. Ukraine relies on Western air defense systems and its own repairs to limit damage.
Key Perspectives
Ukrainian authorities: Russia is applying maximum pressure to cause a blackout, as stated by President Zelenskyy, who reported widespread outages and heating losses. Regional official Oleksandr Hanzha described shelling hampering repair efforts.
Russia's Defense Ministry: Claims strikes hit an electricity substation supplying Ukraine's defense industry and a container ship delivering weapons.
What to Watch
- The outcome of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi in the coming days, and whether they lead to any de-escalation.
- Further Russian strikes as winter deepens, particularly targeting heating and water systems.
- Ukraine's ability to restore power and repair damage under persistent shelling.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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- SupportedThe headline says Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid left 600,000 people without power.RFE/RL: “Russian attacks on the power system in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region have left 600,000 people without electricity”
- SupportedThe summary says attacks targeted Dnipropetrovsk as the winter campaign intensified and hospitals switched to generators.RFE/RL: “Russian attacks on the power system in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region have left 600,000 people without electricity as the Kremlin's campaign against energy targets continued on November 8. Regional military chief Oleksandr Hanzha said hospitals had been forced to switch to diesel generators”
- Partly supportedHanzha said 600,000 people were without electricity on November 8.RFE/RL: “Russian attacks on the power system in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region have left 600,000 people without electricity as the Kremlin's campaign against energy targets continued on November 8. Regional military chief Oleksandr Hanzha said hospitals”
- SupportedHanzha said hospitals had switched to diesel generators and electric-powered public transport had stopped in Dnipro.RFE/RL: “Regional military chief Oleksandr Hanzha said hospitals had been forced to switch to diesel generators and electric-powered public transport had ground to a halt in Dnipro.”
- SupportedHanzha wrote, “Power company workers are already working to restore power. Their efforts are being hampered by constant Russian shelling,” on social media.RFE/RL: “"Power company workers are already working to restore power. Their efforts are being hampered by constant Russian shelling," he wrote in a statement on social media.”
- SupportedZelenskyy accused Russia of seeking maximum pressure ahead of Abu Dhabi talks by plunging “the entire country into a blackout,” and the attacks came a day after that accusation.RFE/RL: “The attacks came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of seeking to apply maximum pressure ahead of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi in the coming days by plunging "the entire country into a blackout."”
- SupportedZelenskyy said that 140 apartment buildings in Zhytomyr were left without heating following a Russian strike.RFE/RL: “In the Zhytomyr region alone, 140 apartment buildings were left without heating following a Russian strike.”
- SupportedRussia began stepping up attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in late September and has targeted the sector every winter since its 2022 full-scale invasion.RFE/RL: “Russia began stepping up attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in late September. It has targeted the sector every winter since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
- SupportedUkraine’s armed forces reported that overnight Russia attacked with three guided aircraft missiles and 164 strike UAVs, 112 jet-powered, and that 137 drones were intercepted.RFE/RL: “Russia had attacked overnight with three Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missiles from the Sea of Azov and 164 strike UAVs, 112 of which were jet-powered. They said 137 drones had been intercepted.”
- SupportedUkrainian authorities said a drone strike caused a fire at a private residence in a Dnipro suburb, another strike in the city killed one civilian and injured another, and four people were injured in Poltava region.RFE/RL: “a drone strike on a private residence in a Dnipro suburb caused a fire, while another strike in the city killed one civilian and injured another, Ukrainian authorities said. Four people were injured in the Poltava region due to Russian attacks.”
- SupportedRussia’s Defense Ministry claimed it hit an electricity substation supplying defense-industry enterprises and a Black Sea container ship delivering weapons.RFE/RL: “Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have hit an electricity substation "which supplied electricity to Ukrainian defense industry enterprises" and a container ship in the Black Sea "delivering weapons."”
- SupportedKursk authorities said a 40-year-old man was killed when a tractor was hit in a drone strike.RFE/RL: “Authorities in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, said a 40-year-old man was killed when a tractor was hit in a drone strike.”