The Ukrainian and Russian arenas witnessed a mutual military escalation, which caused widespread destruction of energy facilities and vital infrastructure in Ukraine, cutting off electricity to hundreds of thousands, alongside casualties and injuries on both sides.
Power outage for 600,000 people
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a post on the "X" platform that Russia launched an attack targeting vital infrastructure and the energy sector, using 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones, targeting Kyiv and its surroundings and the city of Kharkiv. Zelenskyy added that the strikes resulted in serious damage to 26 electricity grid facilities and four facilities in the oil and gas sector, leading to a power outage for at least 600,000 people, with the possibility of the outage spreading.
Targeting military and logistical sites
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces carried out a large-scale attack during the night using precision ground weapons and long-range attack drones, targeting communications and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions. The ministry stated that the strikes focused on sites used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the military-industrial complex, including the Kyiv Fifth Thermal and Electric Power Plant, and two thermal power plants in the Kharkiv region, including the "Zmiivskaia" thermal plant.
The ministry added that the shelling targeted the data center of "ATM Ukrseb" bank in Kyiv, which was used to exchange internet data for intelligence purposes. It also announced that "Epicenter," the largest chain of retail stores, building materials, and household goods in Ukraine, had its main logistics center in the Khmelnytskyi region destroyed due to a series of Russian drone attacks, causing five large fires that destroyed approximately 85% of the goods and stock in the center.
Casualties and downing of drones
Ukrainian authorities announced that a Russian attack targeting Kyiv resulted in the death of 4 people and the injury of 27 others, including a 7-year-old girl. The fall of fragments from a Russian drone also caused a fire at a gas station in the Khmelnytskyi region in western Ukraine, injuring two people. In response, Russian authorities announced the death of one person and the injury of 13 others due to Ukrainian attacks on the Belgorod region.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced the neutralization of four ballistic missiles and 115 Russian drones targeting Kyiv and Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the downing of 902 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, including 493 drones targeting Moscow. This escalation comes after US President Donald Trump announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement for an immediate halt to targeting energy and fuel facilities, but the continuation of mutual strikes reflects a clear gap between diplomatic efforts and the ground reality.
International warnings
Zelenskyy called on US President Donald Trump and the international community to respond firmly, impose stronger sanctions, and provide Ukraine with "Patriot" missile defense systems, amid fears that the impact of the war on infrastructure and civilians in both countries will widen.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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