Russia hits gas production facility in Kharkiv Oblast, critical infrastructure in Dnipro, leaving 30,000 consumers without power

War

Russian attacks struck critical infrastructure in Dnipro, causing power outages, and a gas production facility owned by state energy giant Naftogaz in Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 21, local authorities reported.

The latest attacks come as Ukraine heads into winter, when increased energy consumption puts additional pressure on an energy system still struggling with the damage caused by years of Russian strikes.

Russian forces attacked critical infrastructure in the regional capital of Dnipro at around 1:30 p.m. local time, leaving 30,000 consumers without power in the Synelnykove and Pavlohrad districts, as well as in the town of Samar, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Dnipro, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Oleksandr Hanzha.

Hanzha did not specify which facility was targeted or the extent of the damage.

Earlier on Oct. 21, a Russian drone also struck a gas production facility operated by Naftogaz in Kharkiv Oblast.

"An enemy drone hit one of the installations at a production site," Naftogaz said. "Due to the security situation, it is currently impossible to assess the consequences of the strike."

Acting Naftogaz CEO Serhii Fedorenko said that Russia had struck the company's facilities more than 400 times since the beginning of 2026 — twice as often as during the same period last year.

The recent strikes were part of a wider Russian campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The Energy Ministry said facilities were targeted in Kyiv and Kyiv, Volyn, and Odesa oblasts, while more than 5,000 consumers in Volyn Oblast were left without electricity.

In Kyiv, emergency outages were introduced in parts of the Obolonskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi districts following the attacks on Oct. 21, Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said. The company later said the situation had stabilized and Kyiv was returning to scheduled power cuts.

The New York Times reported on Oct. 2 that Ukrainian authorities had obtained what they described as a Russian Defense Ministry plan to cripple the grid in stages.