Russian Strikes Cut Power to Hundreds of Thousands in 4 Regions, Killing 2 as Interceptor Shortage Bites
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Nov 1
Russian Strikes Cut Power to Hundreds of Thousands in 4 Regions, Killing 2 as Interceptor Shortage Bites
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Nov 1
Summary
Hundreds of thousands of homes lost power after overnight Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions, while a separate attack in Vinnytsia killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl.
More than 60,000 customers in Dnipropetrovsk were still without electricity by early evening, and emergency power cuts continued nationwide, with Kyiv facing outages for most of the day and disrupted water supplies.
Zelensky said Russia had intensified attacks over the past week to exploit Ukraine's shortage of ballistic missile interceptors, renewing calls for more Patriot missiles from the US, Europe and other partners.
Ukraine said it struck a major missile-fuel producer in Russia's Rostov region, causing a fire and damaging four production facilities.
Separately, a localized ceasefire in Kherson was due to end Sunday night after allowing civilians to evacuate occupied Oleshky, where residents had faced acute shortages of food, water and electricity.
With new Patriot missiles years away, can Ukraine's battered energy grid survive the relentless barrage of Russian ballistic strikes?
How did an unexpected diplomatic alliance forge a rare, life-saving ceasefire in one of Ukraine's most heavily mined battlegrounds?
Blackouts and Ballistics: Ukraine’s Struggle to Defend Its Energy Infrastructure Amid the 2026–2027 Winter Offensive
Overview
On the night of October 31 to November 1, 2026, Russian forces launched massive drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, causing widespread power outages and civilian casualties. The attacks severely damaged substations and infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. Ukraine’s air defenses were unable to stop many strikes due to a critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, which had been depleted by ongoing attacks and strained Western supplies. As a result, Ukrainian commanders shifted air defense resources to protect cities, making frontline troops more vulnerable. In response, Ukraine targeted major Russian oil refineries, which led to a sharp drop in Russia’s refining capacity and a surge in global fuel prices. Meanwhile, Ukraine promoted decentralized energy solutions, offering regulatory exemptions and zero-interest loans to businesses for local power generation, aiming to strengthen grid resilience amid ongoing threats.