Russian strikes hit Ukraine's power grid in 10 regions; at least seven killed, officials say

Russian drones and missiles struck energy facilities in 10 Ukrainian regions overnight and on the morning of Saturday 17 October, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said, leaving some customers without electricity. The ministry said power had been restored to more than half a million customers and repairs were continuing where security allowed.

Regional authorities said Russian attacks killed seven people and injured about 90 over the previous day, the Kyiv Independent reported. Al Jazeera, citing officials, put the toll from the latest wave of strikes at at least eight dead and nearly 60 injured.

Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down 289 of the 332 drones launched overnight, and that drones and ballistic missiles struck 22 locations.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the largest strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and said more than 15 key generation and transmission sites were targeted. “Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine — right before winter,” he wrote on X.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces hit infrastructure targets including an electricity substation in Zhytomyr. It also said it struck steelworks in Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia, which it said supply Ukraine’s military industry, DW reported.

Scheduled power cuts were in place in eight western regions on Saturday, UA.NEWS reported. Attacks continued overnight into Sunday: regional officials said a woman was killed in a strike on an apartment building in Zaporizhzhia and one person was killed in Poltava, NV reported. Figures are as of 2pm AEDT on Sunday.