The key facts
- According to Volodymyr Zelensky, 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles were used on the night of November 7, aimed at Kyiv and the region.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed damage to the Northern Bridge; on November 8 traffic was partially restored with restrictions.
- On November 3, Ukrenergo reported one of the largest attacks on the energy sector — more than 20 strikes in 24 hours.
The scale of the November 7 overnight attack
The Ukrainian side described the scale of the overnight attack on November 7: according to Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles, which, in his words, were aimed at Kyiv and the Kyiv region. This is reported by Life.ru citing the Ukrainian politician. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed damage to the roadway of the Northern Bridge, the trolleybus contact network and a power line; traffic across the crossing was closed, but on November 8 city authorities announced its partial restoration with restrictions.
Assessments of the consequences
Oleh Soskin, a political scientist and former aide to ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, assessed the situation on a YouTube channel as a growing utilities crisis. He pointed to damage to the Northern Bridge, power outages in Zhytomyr and Chernihiv, as well as problems with electricity and water supply in Kyiv. 'It was, of course, a very heavy strike. Not only are hundreds of drones flying now, but also a great many ballistic missiles. The Northern Bridge was also hit, the roadway is damaged, it was put out of service,' Life.ru quotes him as saying. This assessment belongs to a Ukrainian political scientist and is not confirmed data on the state of the infrastructure.
The power grid under strain since early November
Problems with electricity supply worsened even before the November 7 attack: On November 3, Ukrenergo reported one of the largest attacks on the country's energy infrastructure. According to the Ukrainian side, more than 20 strikes were carried out on energy facilities over 24 hours; transmission and distribution networks suffered serious damage in several regions. Thousands of specialists were brought in for restoration work, and energy workers named connecting critically important facilities as the top priority. Thus, the November 7 strike hit a system already weakened by damage from early in the month; publications do not provide data on current timelines for the full restoration of the bridge and electricity supply.
