Russian strikes hit energy grid and infrastructure across Ukraine

Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure and cities across Ukraine overnight, causing blackouts and water disruptions. BBC News World and Guardian Europe reported that nine people were injured, including one child, in attacks involving more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones. According to BBC News World, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 12 Ukrainian regions were hit, with the capital city of Kyiv suffering the heaviest damage. [2][5]

Euronews Election News, Deutsche Welle World, and Guardian Europe reported that the strikes damaged a major bridge over the Dnipro in Kyiv. Deutsche Welle World reported that Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have hit the Northern Bridge, which it said was used by Ukrainian forces to move military equipment, as well as the Meridian Plant used for producing cruise missiles. Euronews Election News reported that a kindergarten in Kyiv was severely damaged, leaving a large crater in the ground. [1][4][5]

The latest attacks follow a pattern of Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the invasion began, which reduced the country's electricity generating capacity to one third of pre-war levels by mid-2024. As FTMQ World reported earlier, United Nations monitors recorded 328 civilians killed and 2,105 injured in September 2026, marking an 85 per cent increase compared with the previous September. [11][13]

The overnight strikes occurred just ahead of scheduled diplomatic meetings. BBC News World and Deutsche Welle World reported that Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to attend trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week. Deutsche Welle World and Guardian Europe noted that President Zelensky accused Moscow of attempting to plunge Ukraine into a blackout prior to the negotiations. [2][4][5]