Ukraine on Saturday (November 8, 2025) endured one of the most intense air assaults since the start of the war, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealing that Russia launched more than 400 Iranian-made Shahed drones and missiles across the country in a single day.
The attacks, which targeted critical power infrastructure, left at least seven people dead and triggered widespread blackouts across multiple regions.
What did Ukraine say about the Russian drone strikes?
Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted 406 aerial threats, including nine missiles, but confirmed that 26 rockets and 52 drones struck their targets in 25 locations, among them Kyiv, Poltava, and Kharkiv.
Several power stations and distribution facilities were severely damaged, leading to electricity and water outages for thousands of civilians.
Did Russia confirm the drone strikes on Ukraine?
Russia’s Defense Ministry later confirmed what it called a “large-scale retaliatory operation,” claiming the use of long-range precision weapons launched from air, land, and sea.
Moscow said the attacks were a response to recent Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian territory, insisting that its targets included “arms production facilities and energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military.”
What was the impact of the Russian drone strike?
Ukraine’s state-owned energy operator, Ukrenergo, described the assault as “the largest strike” on the nation’s power grid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Several major power plants near Kyiv and Kharkiv were forced offline, prompting officials to declare an “energy emergency” as fires continued to burn through key facilities.
What was Zelenskyy’s appeal to the West?
In a televised address, Zelenskyy urged Western allies to impose “decisive sanctions” against Russia’s oil and gas industry, warning that Moscow’s winter strategy was designed to “terrorize civilians by freezing them into submission.” He appealed for increased air defence support to protect Ukraine’s energy network during the coming months.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting persisted on the eastern front, with Russia claiming advances near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. Ukraine has intensified its own long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs, calling them “legitimate acts of self-defence” in a war that has now entered its third year.