Ukraine Suffers Blackouts After Russia’s Largest Kinzhal Missile Strike Since Conflict Began

Ukraine was hit by what is being described as the most powerful missile strike since the start of Russia’s special military operation, with multiple “Kinzhal” hypersonic missiles reportedly targeting military and energy infrastructure across the country. The attacks caused widespread blackouts in several major cities, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.

Kyiv Plunged into Darkness After Missile Barrage

Following the missile launches, loud explosions were reported in Kyiv. Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy confirmed disruptions to the capital’s power supply, noting that emergency shutdowns had been implemented. The news agency UNIAN later reported that Kyiv experienced massive power outages on the evening of November 8.

According to Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national energy company, the entire capital lost power due to an emergency shutdown that affected the whole city. Energy supplies across the country have been unstable since October 10, when outages began to spread through multiple regions following earlier missile attacks.

Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv Also Affected

Reports from the Operation Z: Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring Telegram channel indicated that Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv also went dark. Ukrainian media cited by the channel described scenes of total darkness, saying,

“Electricity is disappearing everywhere. Complete darkness is falling over Ukrainian cities.”

Residents in Kharkiv were reportedly resorting to using headlamps and portable lights to navigate through the city.

Power Plants Shut Down Nationwide

Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Tsentrenergo announced that all of its thermal power plants (TPPs) had suspended operations after the overnight missile barrage targeting the country’s energy grid. The Zmiyivska, Pridneprovskaya, and Tavricheskaya power stations, as well as the Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Station, were reportedly hit during the strike.

Additional targets included military installations, such as the Vasylkiv Air Base and the Antonov Airfield in Gostomel, both located in the Kyiv region.

Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant Destroyed Earlier This Month

Earlier in November, Russian forces destroyed the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, one of Ukraine’s largest energy facilities. Russian war correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny reported that the attack severely limited electricity supplies across all territories controlled by Kyiv.

Ukraine Faces Ongoing Energy Crisis

In response to the ongoing strikes, rolling blackouts have been introduced across most of Ukraine’s regions. Ukrenergo confirmed that the most critical energy shortages are now observed in the Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions in the northeast. The capital itself experienced full blackouts twice in October — on October 14 and October 30.