Russia launched a major overnight assault on Ukrainian cities, using missiles and a large number of drones, killing at least four people and damaging critical energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
Attacks and casualties
– Ukrainian authorities reported strikes across multiple regions, including Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava and Odesa. In Dnipro an apartment building was hit, leaving at least three dead and at least 11 injured; a further fatality was reported in Kharkiv region.
– President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched around 450 drones and 45 missiles overnight targeting energy facilities and infrastructure. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said strikes damaged large energy sites in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Poltava regions.
– Ukrainian officials accused a battalion commander of negligence after a celebration that gathered some 100 soldiers despite a ban, leaving them exposed to a deadly attack on November 1 that killed 12 soldiers and seven civilians and wounded dozens. The prosecutor’s office has charged the commander over the incident.
Front-line fighting: Pokrovsk and other towns
– Intense house-to-house combat has been reported in the Donetsk town of Pokrovsk. Kyiv described the situation as “difficult” and said fierce fighting continues; President Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence estimated some 314 Russian fighters had infiltrated the city, up from earlier figures.
– Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed gains around Pokrovsk and nearby Myrnohrad and reported advances in Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, saying its forces had surrounded the towns. Open-source mapping shows Russian forces advancing around Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, though it does not indicate Ukrainian troops have been fully cut off.
– Russia also announced the capture of the tiny village of Vovche in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Nuclear safety and deterrence
– The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that a second external power line to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant — a 330-kilovolt line — was repaired and reconnected for the first time in six months, improving the site’s stability. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called it “a good day for nuclear safety.” The plant’s reactors remain shut down but rely on external power or diesel generators for cooling.
– Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said work is underway to implement President Vladimir Putin’s instruction to prepare proposals for a possible Russian nuclear test, a response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would resume nuclear testing. Russia has not conducted a nuclear test since 1990.
– NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he plans to highlight the alliance’s nuclear capabilities more publicly to deter Russia and reassure populations about NATO’s deterrent.
Cross-border incidents and strikes inside Russia
– Russian regions reported damage from Ukrainian drones. The southern city of Saratov reported two people injured when a drone struck a residential building, while three drones reportedly hit an electricity substation in Vologda region. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down dozens of drones overnight, primarily over regions bordering Ukraine.
Incidents involving journalists and civilians
– A van carrying two foreign journalists — from Austria and Spain — was struck by a drone near the front line in Donetsk while traveling with an aid organization to Kostiantynivka. The journalists escaped without serious injury; video from the scene showed damage and smoke.
– A Ukrainian officer has been charged over the deadly gathering that left soldiers vulnerable to missile and drone strikes, as investigators pursue accountability for the losses.
Political and hybrid warfare developments
– Hungary’s foreign minister said Budapest secured an “indefinite” exemption from US sanctions related to buying Russian oil and gas after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with US President Donald Trump. A White House official described the waiver as for one year and noted Hungary committed to buying US liquefied natural gas contracts worth roughly $600 million.
– A study highlighted that Russia has maintained a network for hybrid operations across Europe, using agents and covert tactics to carry out sabotage and influence campaigns. The report positioned hybrid activities as central to Moscow’s strategy rather than peripheral.
Situation overview
– Kyiv’s leadership repeated calls for stronger sanctions on Russia’s energy sector and for more allied military support to help blunt the intensified assaults. Fighting around key eastern towns, sustained drone-and-missile strikes targeting power and infrastructure, and concerns over nuclear-site security and rhetoric continue to shape the crisis.
