Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) - Russia launched heavy strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Friday night, according to what Kiev reported, considering it a means of pressure used by Moscow before tripartite negotiations sponsored by the United States scheduled for next week.

Published on: 07/11/2026 - 17:01

According to the Ukrainian army, Russia carried out attacks with 36 ballistic missiles and 172 drones, which led to a power outage in five regions (Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev, Zhytomir, and Kharkiv).

The Ministry of Energy reported in a statement that there was severe damage to the transmission and distribution networks, without specifying the number of homes affected by the power outage.

Recently, Russian strikes caused severe damage to the energy sector and infrastructure, especially in the capital, at a time when Ukraine expresses its fear of widespread outages in electricity, heating, and water supplies at the height of the winter season, similar to what happened last year.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky considered these strikes to be Russia's way of "preparing" for the upcoming tripartite meeting on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi between delegates from Kiev, Washington and Moscow, in an effort to revive the negotiations that have been stalled since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in February.

He said in a post on the X platform, “By intensifying its attacks on Ukraine and our infrastructure at this very moment, Russia is trying to prepare the ground to pressure the position of Ukraine and its partners” in the talks.

He added, "We are counting on increasing bilateral support from the United States. We are counting on the US Congress to give greater attention to Ukraine, because Russia is constantly doubling its attacks."

He pointed out that the Ukrainian air defenses were able to intercept only four of the 36 missiles launched by Moscow during the night, in light of its suffering from a “severe shortage” of American-made “Patriot” interceptor missiles, which are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.

He said, "We are seeking at all levels to find ways to speed up the delivery operations and deliver the necessary messages to the American side, so that Ukraine has the necessary means to protect lives."

According to Zelensky, “preliminary conclusions indicated, in one of the main energy facilities that was damaged, that the Russians used KN-23 missiles manufactured and supplied by North Korea.”

- Warnings slow down work -

For its part, the Ministry of Energy reported severe damage to “many energy facilities” in the vicinity of the capital, which “significantly” hinders the supply of electricity to Kiev and its region, noting that “energy sector workers are working at full capacity, but the continuous weather warnings slow down the work.”

The Ukrainian energy group "Naftogaz" indicated that one of its sites in central Ukraine was damaged by three air strikes during the night.

Zelensky reported that at least nine people, including a child, were injured in the attacks that affected about ten regions.

In Russia, the Ministry of Defense announced that it had bombed overnight “facilities belonging to the military-industrial complex, the energy sector and transport infrastructure” in Kiev and its region.

It said that it targeted several sites in the Kiev region, including a thermal power plant, an electrical substation, and an explosives factory.

Early Saturday, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the Russian strikes damaged a major bridge and energy facilities in the capital and its surroundings.

He wrote on Telegram, “The energy supply situation in the capital is very difficult, and this affects the city’s heating and water supply systems.”

In another post, Klitschko reported, “The northern bridge was damaged in a hostile attack and experts are assessing the extent of the damage.”

The Northern Bridge is one of the bridges that connects the eastern part of Kiev with its western part across the Dnipro River.

This facility was subjected to a strike in October, prompting the authorities to install anti-drone networks in an attempt to protect it, in what is the first step in the capital since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

© 2026 AFP

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