Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing outages in nine regions
Russian forces carried out 94 targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sector over the past week, according to the Ministry of Energy. A total of 208 incidents damaged or destroyed infrastructure, triggering new power outages in nine regions, with the situation most severe in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions. A UN commission said the strikes constitute crimes against humanity and are aimed at depriving civilians of essential energy resources.
Key points
- Russian forces carried out 94 targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy and oil and gas sector over the past week
- 208 incidents caused the destruction or damage of energy and oil and gas infrastructure
- New power outages affected consumers in nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv
- Emergency power cuts remained in place in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions due to extensive infrastructure damage
- A UN commission accused Russia of crimes against humanity over attacks on energy facilities
- The campaign of strikes began in late September 2026, ahead of Ukraine's heating season
Why it matters
The attacks damaged or destroyed energy and gas infrastructure and disrupted electricity for consumers across multiple regions. Emergency power cuts remained in effect in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions because of the scale of the damage. The strikes have direct consequences for civilians, hospitals, and access to heating, electricity and water during the winter. A UN commission characterized the attacks as targeted and linked them to a state policy of depriving civilians of essential energy resources.
What happened
Russian forces intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy and gas infrastructure, causing extensive damage and new power outages across nine regions. According to the Ministry of Energy, there were 94 targeted strikes on the energy and oil and gas sector over the past week. Overall, 208 incidents were recorded that resulted in the destruction or damage of energy and oil and gas infrastructure. New outages for consumers emerged in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Rivne, Cherkasy and Kharkiv regions. The situation with electricity supply remained most difficult in Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions, where infrastructure sustained extensive damage. Damage to energy equipment disrupted transmission to consumers, prompting emergency power cuts. Emergency disconnections were also introduced on November 2 in Kyiv and Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Poltava and Sumy regions due to damage to the power system from Russian shelling.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes the scale and operational consequences of the attacks — 94 targeted strikes, 208 infrastructure incidents, outages across nine regions and continued emergency disconnections. The domestic focus centers on energy security, damage to infrastructure, disruptions for consumers and the approaching heating season.
Background
The reported campaign against Ukraine's energy infrastructure began in late September 2026, ahead of the heating season. During the winter of 2025–2026, residents had already spent extended periods without heating, electricity and water during severe cold. The UN commission said the approaching winter and intensified attacks were affecting civilians' physical and mental health and hospital operations.