Russia and Ukraine Resume Strikes on Energy Infrastructure
Energy Strikes Resume Across Nine Regions After Oleshky Truce Expires
Russia and Ukraine launched large-scale strikes targeting energy infrastructure across multiple regions immediately following the expiration of a localized humanitarian truce, yna.co.kr reported on November 3, 2026. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces fired 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles overnight, hitting power facilities and substations in nine regions including Odesa, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Zhytomyr, triggering emergency blackouts. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the offensive targeted power plants and other energy assets. President Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces launched complex large-scale attacks overnight, and noted that the offensive followed his public warning that Russia was preparing new large-scale strikes targeting energy and logistics sectors. He also stated that Russia calculated that the world’s attention would focus on the U.S. midterm elections while events in Ukraine faded from international concern. The State Emergency Service reported that 12 people in the Kharkiv region and five in Odesa were injured in drone strikes, while Artem Nekrasov stated via Telegram that emergency blackouts became unavoidable due to power grid damage, with the situation being most severe in government-controlled areas of Ukraine and the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Russian government stated that it intercepted 212 Ukrainian drones overnight. The 6-day localized truce in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky was mediated with the contribution of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, expired late on November 1, and Melania Trump stated on social media platform X that nearly 800 people left the city of Oleshky during the operation. President Zelenskyy called for a strong and decisive response from the global community.
Humanitarian Hub Hit by Heavy Bombs in Komyshuvakha
The expiration of the cease-fire in the southern Kherson region brought immediate civilian casualties elsewhere on the front lines. VOA 한국어 홈페이지 reported that at least nine FAB-3000 three-ton glide bombs struck a school building serving as a humanitarian aid distribution center and shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. VOA 한국어 홈페이지 noted that the strikes killed 24 people according to the State Emergency Service, while yna.co.kr and YTN reported the death toll climbed to 29 as rescue operations continued. President Zelenskyy stated via social media that Russian forces launched a double-tap strike, hitting the building first and then targeting emergency responders and police officers who arrived at the scene. Emergency officials confirmed that four police officers and two rescue workers were among the dead, with dozens more injured or missing under the rubble. President Zelenskyy stated that the Russian military could not have been unaware that the remaining residents of Komyshuvakha had been receiving humanitarian aid at that very location every week, adding that the attack showed once again that Russia wanted neither de-escalation nor true justice. Zaporizhzhia regional administrative head Mykhailo Semykin described the attack as a terrible tragedy and stated that people were still trapped under the rubble, while the search for missing residents and rescue workers was hindered by ongoing Russian attacks. The New York Times reported that Russia has long utilized the double-tap tactic of striking a location and subsequently attacking responders arriving at the scene.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Refinery in Yaroslavl
While Russian missiles hammered Ukrainian power grids, Ukrainian forces executed retaliatory drone strikes against Russian energy production facilities. yna.co.kr reported, citing Bloomberg, that 124 drones struck the Yanos oil refinery in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, a facility capable of refining roughly 300,000 barrels per day that supplies fuel to Moscow and surrounding areas. VOA 한국어 홈페이지 documented separate artillery and drone attacks across the frontline, including strikes in Sloviansk that killed a 68-year-old woman, drone hits in Sumy that killed a civilian, and vocational school damage in Vinnytsia that claimed three lives, including a 13-year-old girl.
Diplomatic Maneuvering Ahead of Abu Dhabi Talks
The intensification of military strikes coincides with preparations for upcoming diplomatic engagements. yna.co.kr and KBS 뉴스 reported that a three-way peace negotiation involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States is scheduled for November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. VOA 한국어 홈페이지 highlighted that the talks, which Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, stated will involve the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, will address post-war security architecture, humanitarian aid, and de-escalation. President Zelenskyy asserted that Moscow escalated its campaign to gain an advantage ahead of the summit and to exploit international distractions, whereas Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that military repositioning during pauses is standard operational practice. Territorial control over the Donbas region remains the central point of contention as both delegations prepare for the upcoming sessions.
