Warehouses, a home-improvement store, a farm: Russia’s strikes aimed past the grid at Ukraine’s civilian economy

Overnight on October 9, Russian drones struck Ukraine's power grid, warehouses, a food warehouse, a home-improvement store, and a farm, according to Ukrainian officials and emergency services. The attacks resulted in emergency power cuts in Kyiv and other regions, claiming at least three lives across the country. As Russia persists with its daily terror attacks, it may have initiated its winter strike campaign early, aiming to make civilian life in Ukraine unbearable, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISW).

These strikes now extend beyond the power grid to businesses that store and sell goods, potentially causing damage to Ukraine's economy, with estimates ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion this year. On October 9, Russia launched 136 drones, with 93 jet-powered, of which 114 were neutralized by Ukrainian air defenses. Drones targeted eight locations, causing debris to fall at seven others.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, initiated emergency power cuts in Kyiv's right bank and the Bucha and Vyshhorod districts upon orders from the grid operator, Ukrenergo. Scheduled maintenance was suspended across parts of Ukraine. Power cuts had already been planned for the entire day. Following a previous Russian strike that knocked out several grid elements in Kyiv, power was cut to many consumers.

Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy system in recent weeks, specifically targeting power lines and transformers. The latest toll details three casualties and 18 injuries in Zaporizhzhia and the Zaporizhzhia district overnight.