Russian strikes across nine Ukrainian regions killed at least eight people and injured 60, according to local officials. The attacks also severed electricity to more than a million households, marking a significant escalation in Moscow’s campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Deadly strikes on Kharkiv and Rivne
In Kharkiv, a 71-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man died when strikes hit three districts, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Twelve others sustained injuries. In the frontline city of Kramatorsk, two people were killed, while two more died in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Volyn region, which borders Poland, saw a drone strike on a food-processing facility that killed one person and wounded eight, Governor Roman Romaniuk said. Drones also set fire to approximately 10 trucks at a customs terminal in Kovel.
Rivne suffered significant damage as drones hit a major shopping centre, killing one person and wounding seven, regional governor Oleksandr Koval stated. A shopping centre in Sumy was also targeted. These attacks highlight the expanding reach of Russian drones into civilian infrastructure deep within Ukrainian territory.
Energy grid under sustained pressure
Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy confirmed that repair crews restored power to over a million people who lost service on Friday. However, the Volyn region remains vulnerable, with 370,000 households initially affected. Mayor Andriy Razumovskyi of Lutsk warned that the blackout in the regional capital could last at least 24 hours. Russia’s military chief reportedly told President Vladimir Putin that the military has allocated necessary assets to continue its aerial campaign against Ukraine’s energy system.
The United Nations reported a steep climb in civilian casualties. At least 328 civilians were killed and 2,105 wounded last month, an 85 percent increase compared to September 2025. Between January and September 2026, 2,570 civilians were killed and 15,211 wounded, a figure nearly 60 percent higher than the same period last year. Danielle Bell, head of the UN’s human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, described the first two weeks of October as among the deadliest periods for civilians in years.
Source: Al Jazeera
This article was compiled by the IndiaBBCNews editorial system from verified international news sources. Facts have been independently reviewed. Original reporting: Al Jazeera.
