**Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and is being updated. Read the latest news on Russia’s overnight Nov. 8 attacks, including its drone strike on a residential building in Dnipro.**
Overnight on November 8, Ukraine faced a new wave of large-scale Russian attacks that severely targeted its energy and gas infrastructure. This assault has triggered emergency power outages across Kyiv and the surrounding Kyiv Oblast. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they successfully intercepted 406 of the 458 drones launched by Russia, including the Shahed-type attack drones. Additionally, Russian forces unleashed 45 cruise and ballistic missiles, with nine of these missiles being thwarted in mid-air.
Major cities that bore the brunt of the attacks included Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast, as well as Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv. Explosions were also reported in Sumy and Odesa Oblast, causing widespread alarm. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “very brazen,” emphasizing its demonstrative intent. He noted ongoing efforts to collaborate with the United States for acquiring additional Patriot air defense systems to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities.
The assault resulted in immediate emergency measures, with power cuts affecting several regions of Ukraine. According to Ukrenergo, the state grid operator, these outages were necessary to manage the compromised energy system effectively. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported that one of its thermal power plants sustained significant damage from the attack. Notably, DTEK has faced over 210 attacks on its facilities since the onset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In Kyiv, the extent of power outages varied, with some areas lacking electricity for as long as eight hours. Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk addressed the nation, stating that the aftermath of the attacks is still being evaluated. Normal outages, typically up to four hours a day, would only resume once the situation had stabilized. By evening, Hrynchuk reported a slight improvement in the energy landscape, suggesting that residents could begin planning around the anticipated power cuts.
Hrynchuk labeled this assault as one of the most substantial direct ballistic missile attacks on energy facilities since the full-scale invasion began. Historically, such a high volume of ballistic missiles targeting energy infrastructure was unprecedented, highlighting the severity of the threat.
Eyewitness accounts from Kyiv indicated that explosions rang out just before 4:30 a.m. local time, confirming that air defense systems were engaged amid the broader assault. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported instances of falling drone debris in the Pechersky district, which led to a fire that has since been extinguished. Fortunately, no casualties were reported within the capital during this harrowing episode.
The assaults were compounded by a larger campaign targeting cities closer to Ukraine’s frontline regions. Alerts about potential Russian ballistic missile strikes dominated the night, as the attacks extended to Ukraine’s central, southern, and eastern regions. The State Emergency Service confirmed that energy infrastructure was also struck in Odesa Oblast amid these attacks.
Over the fall months, Russia has escalated its assaults on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in an attempt to plunge the nation into another bitter winter. Reports from earlier attacks indicated that approximately 60% of Ukraine’s gas production sites were wiped out in strikes that took place on October 3 and 5, escalating the urgency of the current situation.
Earlier that evening, a drone strike on a residential building in Dnipro resulted in injuries for at least seven individuals, including two children. The implications of these continuous strikes are profound, as they threaten not just immediate safety, but also the sustainability of Ukraine’s energy resources and overall stability as winter approaches.
Russia strikes residential building in Dnipro, injuring at least 7