Russia's Overnight Strike Hit Ukraine's Grid Backbone, Not Just Its Power Plants

Russia struck Ukraine's electricity transmission networks in the early hours of November 7, 2026, damaging the lines that carry power from nuclear plants to Kyiv and central regions and cutting supply across five regions, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine's Ministry of Energy said the transmission networks were hit. Power outages were recorded in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv. Russia used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian officials.

Kyiv was hit hardest. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Northern Bridge over the Dnieper was damaged and traffic was closed in both directions while specialists assessed the extent of the damage. He described the capital's energy supply situation as "extremely difficult," with heating and water supply systems affected.

UNN reported five injured in Kyiv, including a child. The BBC reported nine hurt across the country, including one child. Al-Jazeera Net cited 12 injuries.

The target was the transmission layer of the grid — the connective tissue between nuclear generation and major population centres — not a single plant. The strikes came at the onset of winter, with temperatures dropping and parts of Ukraine already seeing their first snow.

Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the US are due to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi for talks aimed at ending the war. The strikes occurred days before those talks were scheduled to begin.

It is not yet known how long electricity, water, and heating disruptions will last in Kyiv and the other affected regions, what the full extent of damage to the Northern Bridge is, or when it will reopen.