Russia attacked a substation serving Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant in its biggest energy strike of the year, while Kyiv reported hitting 30 targets in Russia and charged Zelenskyy's former spokesperson with treason.
The Russian military launched 289 drones, 17 ballistic missiles and 59 cruise missiles across nine regions overnight into Tuesday, targeting power plants and substations from Odesa to Rivne. Three drones struck a substation critical for the stable operation of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said . He warned that such attacks pose a threat to nuclear safety not only in Ukraine but throughout Europe, and said the International Atomic Energy Agency had been informed. Emergency power cuts were imposed in Kyiv and surrounding regions, leaving the capital without water .
The barrage also hit civilian targets. A strike on a school serving as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, killed 31 people, with more than 45 still missing, local officials said . In Kharkiv, a missile and drone attack wounded at least 62 people. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes coincided with the U.S. midterm elections, writing on X that "the Russians think America won't notice this signal of theirs."
Ukrainian officials said the attacks on substations connected to nuclear plants could remove approximately 15 gigawatts of power capacity, as nuclear facilities provide between 53% and 55% of the country's electricity . Following a full blackout in November 2022 caused by similar strikes, grid operators established protocols to handle missile strikes, former State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate head Hryhorii Plachkov said. When external connections are lost, operators must reduce reactor output or transition units to shutdown modes, he said.
As Russia pounded the grid, Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported striking at least 30 strategic targets inside Russia during October . The targets included seven defense industry facilities, three military airfields and key radar infrastructure up to 650 kilometers from the border. Among the targets were the Proton-Electrotex plant in Oryol, which manufactures electronic components for missiles, and the Kamensky chemical plant in Rostov region, which produces solid rocket fuel . Ukrainian forces also damaged six Su-34 fighter-bombers at Borisoglebsk airfield and destroyed two more at Marinovka, valued at approximately $100 million, the ministry said.
The same day, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office charged Zelenskyy's former spokesperson, Mendel, with treason, accusing her of spreading statements that benefit the aggressor state with the aim of discrediting Ukraine . The 40-year-old, who lives abroad, has become a vehement critic of Zelenskyy, accusing him of corruption and creeping authoritarianism. In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson earlier this year, she called the Ukrainian president "one of the biggest obstacles to peace" .
