(Kyiv, Combined Dispatch) Ukrainian officials say Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight on Saturday, targeting energy infrastructure and causing power, water, and heating outages in several cities.
In recent months, Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russian forces launched 458 drones and 45 missiles at various locations across Ukraine overnight on Saturday (November 8). Of these, 26 missiles and 52 drones hit 25 locations in Ukraine, while the rest were successfully shot down by Ukrainian forces.
The airstrikes caused power, water, and heating outages in several cities. Ukraine's state-owned power company warned that "power generation capacity is currently zero." It stated, "Less than a month after the last attack, the enemy is now simultaneously attacking all of our power generation capacity."
The Ukrainian power transmission system operator said that most parts of the country will experience power outages for 8 to 16 hours on Sunday (November 9) to allow for repairs and energy supply reallocation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sergei Sebiga posted on social media late Saturday night, saying that Russian forces attacked a substation supplying electricity to two nuclear power plants in western Ukraine, condemning Russia for "deliberately endangering European nuclear security," and calling on the International Atomic Energy Agency to respond.
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According to Ukrainian officials, airstrikes in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south, and Kharkiv in the northeast resulted in 7 deaths and 12 injuries.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Khlinchuk said that emergency personnel have stabilized the power grid, but intermittent power outages are still possible in several regions, including Kyiv, Donetsk, and Kharkiv.
In addition, Ukraine launched overnight airstrikes against Russia on Saturday, causing power outages for more than 20,000 households in the Russian border region.
Belgorod Oblast Governor Gladkov said on Sunday that the power and heating networks in the capital Belgorod were severely damaged, leaving more than 20,000 households without power.
Russian local governments also reported that a fire at a power plant in Kursk Oblast, bordering Ukraine, caused power outages in 10 districts; a fire also broke out at a heating facility in the south of Voronezh Oblast in the southwest, but there were no casualties.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Sunday that Russian forces successfully shot down or intercepted 44 drones launched by Ukraine, 43 of which were shot down in Bryansk Oblast. On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday that he was prepared to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but reiterated that Russia would not abandon its core conditions for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
He told RIA Novosti, "Rubio and I both understand the necessity of regular communication, which is crucial for discussing the Ukraine issue and advancing the bilateral agenda. Therefore, we maintain communication by telephone and are prepared to hold face-to-face meetings if necessary."
