Russian drones hit substation key to Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant as Kyiv trams stop

Overnight strike on the energy system

Russia carried out a large overnight attack on Ukraine that began on the night of 2 to 3 November, and Ukrainian authorities said the main targets were again energy facilities, including power plants and substations on transmission and distribution networks. Ukrenergo, the national grid operator, described the strike as one of the largest against the country's energy infrastructure and said Russian forces had hit energy sites more than 20 times in 24 hours.

Ukraine's armed forces reported that the attack involved 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles, and that air defence shot down more than 300 objects, including about 50 cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles. Targets included not only energy assets but also residential buildings and medical facilities, according to Ukrainian officials.

Drones289

Ballistic missiles17

Cruise missiles59

Drones

289 count

Ballistic missiles

17 count

Cruise missiles

59 count

Data from the article text

Substation linked to the nuclear plant

Denys Szmyhal, Ukraine's deputy prime minister and energy minister, told ambassadors of G7 countries that a Russian drone attack had hit a substation of key importance for the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. The site lies roughly 190 km from the Polish border, and Szmyhal said the threat extended beyond Ukraine's territory. He said the energy ministry had passed information about the attack to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Such actions pose a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the nuclear safety of all of Europe.”

Szmyhal described the strike as a serious escalatory step. He posted his statement on Telegram.

Kyiv transport and power outages

Kyiv authorities suspended tram and trolleybus traffic in the evening, citing a critical situation in the energy system caused by hostile shelling. Extra buses were sent onto the affected routes. Officials said the metro was still running but that its continued operation depended on how the energy situation developed.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the situation with power supplies in the capital was extremely difficult on the evening of 3 November. Ukrenergo introduced emergency power cuts in several regions, including the capital, and water supplies in Kyiv were temporarily halted. Klitschko said electricians and other specialists were working to restore power and water, and that heating points would open in the districts hit hardest, where residents could charge phones and get hot drinks.

Klitschko wrote on social media that the enemy was still destroying Ukraine's unified energy system, with both generation and transmission facilities damaged across the country.

Winter outlook

Ukrainian authorities have warned for months that this would be the hardest winter of the war. Preparations began during the previous heating season, but according to Mykhailo Babiichuk, writing for OKO.press, the state of the grid depends largely on new Russian attacks, where they land, and the availability of backup power sources.