Russian Strikes Cut Power to Over 600,000 in Dnipropetrovsk, 250,000 in Kharkiv Region; Komyshuvakha Toll Rises to 55

The damage to Ukraine's grid has spread east. Overnight into Sunday, Nov. 8, strikes in Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions left hundreds of thousands without electricity, with temperatures already hovering around freezing. The strikes came a day after Ukraine's energy ministry said a massive attack on energy facilities had plunged residents in five regions into darkness and significantly hampered electricity transmission in Kyiv.

Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv go dark

DTEK, the private energy company, said on Telegram that more than 600,000 residents of Dnipropetrovsk region lost power after a night attack damaged "important energy facilities." The city of Dnipro and the Pavlohrad, Samarivskyi, Kamianske and Dniprovskyi districts were affected.

DTEK said repairs are "complicated by repeated attacks."

In the northeast, a Russian drone hit what Zlatopil mayor Mykola Baksheyev called a "critical infrastructure facility" in Kharkiv region. Nearly 250,000 customers lost power. Baksheyev said no casualties were reported and that the exact time for restoring supply is unknown.

In Zhytomyr region, Zelenskyy said a Russian strike left 140 apartment buildings without heating. He said the overnight strikes caused "widespread power outages across the country" and that repair work is underway "in practically every affected city and community."

Ukraine's Air Force said it downed or neutralized 137 of 164 drones launched overnight. Hits were recorded in 23 locations, and debris fell in six more. One strike started a fire at an industrial facility in Rivne region in the west, destroying a building.

Komyshuvakha toll climbs to 55

Zelenskyy said the death toll from Monday's strike on an aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, has risen to 55. Emergency services had put it at 50. The attack is among the deadliest of the war.

Rescue operations have run for seven days. Zelenskyy said Russia hit the village again Sunday morning with an FPV drone. "More people may still be under the rubble," he said.

The weekly numbers and the missile question

Zelenskyy said Russia launched 115 missiles of various types, nearly 1,900 guided aerial bombs and more than 3,000 attack drones at Ukrainian cities over the past week. He said a significant share of the missiles were made this year.

His answer is to go after production. "If the world does not have enough anti-ballistic capabilities to protect Ukrainian skies, the missiles must be stopped on the production lines," he said. He said Kyiv shares information with partners on Russian firms involved in ballistic missile production and is counting on a strong 22nd EU sanctions package.

The interceptor gap is the underlying problem. The lack of interceptors for the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems remains a serious issue for Kyiv, which has repeatedly appealed to allies amid a global shortage. On Nov. 1, Zelenskyy wrote on X that new U.S. and European aid decisions "cannot take years," adding that Russia "is betting on ballistic missiles this winter."

Moscow's position

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its forces hit energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military, plus a container ship south-west of Odesa that it said was delivering weapons and military equipment. It said a power substation in Zhytomyr region supplied Ukraine's defense industry.

The ministry also said its forces "will continue to carry out strikes against Ukrainian fuel and energy infrastructure facilities" that it says aid the Ukrainian military.

The strikes left hundreds of thousands of civilians without power. Russia has yet to release a statement on the claims made by Zelenskyy, who has accused it of intensifying attacks to put pressure on Kyiv at the talks. Independent verification remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict.

Ukraine's strikes inside Russia

Ukraine is hitting back. Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein said a Ukrainian drone struck a tractor in the village of Pervomayskoe on Sunday, killing a 40-year-old man.

A drone strike also damaged the Mius River bridge on the Novorossiya highway in Rostov region, disrupting a key transit route to occupied Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Post.

What comes next

U.S.-brokered trilateral talks are scheduled in Abu Dhabi for Tuesday and Wednesday. Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of intensifying attacks to gain leverage there.

The immediate open question is the Komyshuvakha toll. Rescuers are still digging, and Zelenskyy has warned that more people may still be under the rubble.