Russia launches massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure
Russia launched a large-scale combined missile-and-drone attack on Ukraine overnight from November 2 into November 3, 2026, with the main focus on energy generation, substations and other critical infrastructure. Ukrainian air defenses said they had neutralized 309 targets by 09:00 on November 3. The strike caused power outages across multiple regions and damaged civilian facilities, including a hospital in Kharkiv where 73 people were reported injured.
Key points
- Russia used 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Main attack directions included Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
- By 09:00 on November 3, Ukrainian air defenses had neutralized 309 targets, including three ballistic missiles, 49 cruise missiles and 257 drones.
- Impacts were recorded at 23 locations and debris falls at 14 locations.
- A strike hit a city hospital in Kharkiv's Nemyshlianskyi district, injuring 73 people and damaging its cardiology department; 226 patients were evacuated.
- One person was killed and 17 injured in Dnipro, where residential buildings, a police station, a heat and power plant, a hospital and other facilities were damaged.
- Energy infrastructure was hit across numerous regions, leaving most settlements in Vinnytsia without electricity and about 130 settlements and more than 180,000 consumers without power in Zhytomyr.
Why it matters
This was the largest combined missile-and-drone strike described in the available coverage, with 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles. Attacks on power generation, substations and transmission infrastructure caused widespread outages, while strikes on hospitals and other civilian sites disrupted medical operations and caused casualties. The timing, during the U.S. congressional elections, also prompted renewed Ukrainian calls for American support for air defense.
What happened
The attack began around 18:00 on November 2 and continued overnight in several waves, with attacks still reported at 09:00 on November 3. Ukraine's Air Force said Russian forces used 289 strike drones, including 120 jet-powered drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 winged missiles. Ukrainian air defenses, backed by aviation, surface-to-air missile troops, electronic-warfare and unmanned-systems units and mobile fire groups, neutralized 309 targets by 09:00: three ballistic missiles, 49 cruise missiles and 257 drones. Impacts were recorded at 23 locations and falling debris at 14 sites.
Energy generation, substations and transmission facilities were primary targets. Three DTEK thermal power plants sustained significant damage and stopped generating electricity, while a DTEK facility in Odesa region was seriously damaged, causing power-supply disruptions. A substation in Rivne region was also damaged. Most settlements in Vinnytsia region lost electricity, while about 130 settlements and more than 180,000 consumers in Zhytomyr region were left without power. Emergency outages were introduced in Kyiv, Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
In Kharkiv, a guided aerial bomb struck the connecting passage between hospital buildings in Nemyshlianskyi district. The hospital's cardiology department and facade were damaged, and 73 people were injured, including patients, medical workers and residents of nearby buildings. The reported number of injured was initially 62 and later revised to 73. A total of 226 patients were evacuated to other medical institutions. In Dnipro, one person was killed and 17 were injured, while residential buildings, a police station, a thermal power plant, an outpatient clinic and a city hospital were damaged. The number of injured there was initially reported as 15 and later increased to 17. In Cherkasy, a drone damaged at least four private homes and injured two people. Russian attacks also damaged railway infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia and Kovel, as well as industrial facilities and warehouses in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage and officials emphasize energy generation, substations and critical infrastructure as the principal targets, with extensive reporting on power outages and damaged facilities. Ukrainian officials also stress that the attack occurred during the U.S. congressional elections and call on Washington not to ignore it and to continue supporting air defense. They characterize deliberate attacks on civilian energy infrastructure as war crimes; Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attacks as a direct sign of genocide and called for sanctions to remain in place.
How international sources describe it
The supplied international coverage is limited to one English-language account. It likewise highlights energy infrastructure, the timing of the attack and the need for continued U.S. support for air defense, focusing on the geographic scope of energy targets, civilian harm in Kharkiv and Dnipro, and electricity disruptions in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Odesa and Rivne. A broader comparison is limited because the other supplied reports are Ukrainian-language media and agency accounts.
Where reporting differs
The number of people injured in the Kharkiv hospital strike was initially reported as 62 and later as 73. In Dnipro, the injured count was initially given as 15 and later as 17. Ukrainian authorities and presidential reporting referred to energy infrastructure being struck in nine regions, while the Ministry of Energy listed ten, including Zaporizhzhia and Khmelnytskyi.
Background
The attack followed the established pattern of large Russian strikes combining drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, and directed aerial bombs against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. Ukrainian officials and international organizations characterize such attacks on civilian infrastructure as war crimes, while Russian leadership denies deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure. In October 2026, the Air Force said Russia had launched more than 4,000 jet-powered drones, about 150 ballistic missiles and 80 cruise and aviation missiles at Ukraine.