Russia launches massive missile attack against Ukrainian cities targeting power grid (updates)

On the morning of October 31, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine. Explosions rocked a number of regions, local authorities reported damage to energy infrastructure, Ukrainian air defenses shot down some of the Russian missiles. This attack is a part of the Russian campaign to destroy the Ukrainian electricity generating and distributing infrastructure to “freeze Ukrainians,” as Russian propaganda usually puts it, in the upcoming winter. Ukrainian officials say that Russia has been waging war against civilians.

Around 06:30-07:30, the air raid alerts were announced all across Ukraine except for the Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia had launched at least 40 missiles targeting Ukraine, according to Anton Herashchenko, adviser to the Interior Minister.

At about 8:00, Ukrainian Air Defense Forces were active in Kyiv Oblast, head of Kyiv Oblast Administration Oleksii Kuleba reported, while Kyivans wrote on social media that they could hear explosions. In total, about 10 explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1586973250860773377

Due to the strikes on critical infrastructure facilities, parts of Kyiv are without electricity, the Kyiv mayor reported.

The Kharkiv mayor said there were two hits on a critical infrastructure facility as locals reported power shortages in the city. The Kharkiv Metro reported that metro train traffic was suspended in the city.

Local officials and social media users also reported explosions in Kremenchuk (Poltava Oblast), Kyiv Oblast, Cherkasy’s Kaniv, Cherkasy City, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast. Mykolaiv and Odesa local reported missile fly-overs as those were heading north.

Russians attacked one of the critical infrastructure facilities in Cherkasy Oblast causing power shortages in parts of the region, Cherkasy Oblast Head Ihor Taburets said.

“Today, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the enemy launched missile attacks on Zaporizhzhia, according to preliminary data, with air-based missiles. Critical infrastructure facilities were damaged. Therefore, power shortages are possible. No casualties have been discovered at the moment, all services are working at the sites of the hits,” Zaporizhzhia Oblast Head Oleksandr Starukh wrote on Telegram.

Lviv Oblast Head Maksym Kozytskyi said that Russian missiles were shot down in Lviv Oblast.

“In Vinnytsia, a downed Rushist (Russian-fascist, – Ed.) missile fell on civilian objects causing destruction. No one was killed or injured,” Vinnytsia Oblast Head Serhii Borzov reported.

Russian missiles reportedly hit a power facility in Kirovohrad Oblast in the area of Svitlovodsk.

There is damage to critical infrastructure in Chernivtsi Oblast as a result of the missile attack, according to Oblast Head Zaparaniuk.

Kyiv Oblast Head Oleksii Kuleba says part of the oblast is without electricity and calls to prepare for long-lasting power outages as emergency power cuts are introduced in the region.

Ukraine shot down 44 out of “more than 50” Russian missiles during the morning attack – Air Force Command

Reaction to Russian missile attack

The Ukrainian FM reiterates that Russia again attacks civilians and urges not to call these attack a "response." https://t.co/PTkH8tjRN8

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 31, 2022

“Russian losers continue waging war on civilian facilities,” wrote Andrii Yermak, President Zelenskyy’s office chief.

The US Embassy to Kyiv calls Russian missile strikes “callous and barbaric”:

Like millions of Ukrainians, our @USEmbassyKyiv team is once again taking shelter as Russia continues its callous and barbaric missile strikes on the people of Ukraine in an effort to leave the country cold and dark as we approach winter.

— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) October 31, 2022

Over the past few weeks, Russian missile and drone attacks destroyed about 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure causing blackouts and power cuts in many Ukrainian regions.

Updates

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said that air defenses destroyed all missiles that targeted Kyiv this morning, those were shot down on the outskirts. According to him, the power shortages in Kyiv were due to the fact that there were hits on the oblast’s critical infrastructure facilities that supply electricity to Kyiv. 80% of consumers left without running water Klitschko said. He says the problem is being solved and urges Kyivans to stock up on water.

In Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a missile hit an industrial facility, the air defenses shot two other missiles, according to Oblast Head Vilkul. He says no one was injured but there is destruction.

The Russian missiles hit energy infrastructure facilities in the cities of Dnipro and Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, there is “serious destruction,” according to Oblast Head Reznichenko.

Russian missiles & drones hit 10 regions damaging 18 mostly energy-related facilities – Ukrainian PM

“At this moment, there are 13 people who were injured as a result of today’s Russian attacks. And, of course, together with the SBU and the prosecutor’s office, we will establish the damages and record the crimes that were committed today on the territory of our country,” National Police Chief Ihor Klymenko said on the national telethon.

Kharkiv Oblast saw five Russian missile strikes this morning, there were no injuries, Kharkiv Oblast Head Syniehubov said, “We are analyzing the damage to critical infrastructure in Kharkiv and Chuhuiv district in order to restore power supply as quickly as possible.”

In addition, in the morning, as a result of shelling, a fire broke out in an educational institution in the Kupiansk district. There also were no casualties, according to him.