Russia Pounds Power Facilities Around Kyiv, Damages Major Bridge

By Dan Peleschuk for Reuters Nov. 7, 2026 Firefighters work at the site of a Russian missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine November 7, 2026. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Russian forces hammered energy infrastructure around Ukraine's capital with missiles and drones overnight, straining Kyiv's power supply and heating systems as temperatures headed towards zero, officials said on Saturday. Explosions rocked the city as Russia fired multiple waves of ballistic missiles, several of which hit and damaged the Northern Bridge across the Dnipro River, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Strikes on energy facilities outside Kyiv — including systems sending power from two nuclear plants to the city and Ukraine's central regions — caused serious damage, the energy ministry said. "The capital is facing serious difficulties with its electricity, water, and heat supplies," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X, adding that substations in five other regions were also hit. He said Russia had launched 36 ballistic missiles, only four of which were intercepted, according to Ukraine's air force. It added that air defences had downed 149 out of 172 drones. At least two people were killed and around a dozen others wounded across Ukraine in the overnight attacks, which also damaged homes, businesses and non-residential buildings, authorities said. Moscow's defense ministry said it carried out a massive strike on what it described as targets in Ukraine's military-industrial sector, as well as energy and transport infrastructure in and around Kyiv. Russia has stepped up air attacks on Ukraine as its ground offensive has largely stalled, pounding energy infrastructure in major cities with difficult-to-intercept missiles and drones more than four-and-a-half years into its full-scale invasion. It has expanded its campaign in recent weeks to target Kyiv's bridges, snarling traffic in the city of more than 3 million people. Saturday's strikes come days before a new round of three-way talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukrainian and Russian officials, as part of a U.S.-backed peace push that has so far yielded few results. "Russia is preparing for trilateral talks by launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine's critical infrastructure," Zelensky said on X. The attacks also follow recent U.S. midterm elections that have raised hopes in Ukraine for stronger support against Russia's war from a Democratic-controlled Congress. "We are counting on the U.S. Congress to give more attention to Ukraine, because Russia keeps increasing the number of its attacks," Zelensky added. Read more about: Ukraine war Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. 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