Russia claims strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and two ships in the Black Sea

On 3 November 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defence said, as quoted by TASS, that Russian forces had struck energy facilities in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, as well as port infrastructure and vessels used for military purposes in Odesa region. Interfax reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Defence, that overnight strikes had hit energy facilities in Kharkiv region, two dry cargo ships in the port of Yuzhny and in the Black Sea, and port infrastructure in Kiliia. TASS and Interfax carried the statements.

At the time of publication, Flank had found no independent confirmation that all the listed targets had been hit or that they served the claimed military purposes. This is a developing story and further information may be added.

Moscow claims it struck energy facilities

According to the Russian ministry, the attack used ground- and air-launched precision weapons and long-range attack drones. The ministry claims the energy facilities supplied electricity to Ukraine's defence industry and military.

The reports carried by Interfax named the Ladyzhyn thermal power station in Vinnytsia region, the Kryvyi Rih and Prydniprovska thermal power stations in Dnipropetrovsk region, and the Kharkiv thermal power station and the Zmiivska and Losieve substations in Kharkiv region.

The list covers both electricity generation and transmission. A claim that a target was hit, however, establishes neither the extent of the damage nor the capacity lost. Assessing the consequences requires information from operators on the facilities' operation and restoration timelines.

Russia says two dry cargo ships were hit

According to the Russian ministry, quoted by Interfax, two dry cargo ships were hit in the port of Yuzhne and in Black Sea waters. The ministry claims they were carrying military equipment and dual-use cargo for the Ukrainian armed forces. It also reports a strike on infrastructure at the port of Kiliia in Odesa region.

The ships' names, flags, ownership and condition, as well as their actual cargo, remain undetermined. The designation “dual-use” does not in itself prove a specific military use. Confirmation of damage to a port would not automatically confirm the strikes on the ships either.

The precise locations and circumstances of the alleged hits will be decisive in assessing the risk to Black Sea shipping. There are no reports of Bulgarian ships, citizens or cargo being affected.

Ukrainian sources report power cuts and injuries in Kharkiv

Kyiv Post, citing electricity transmission operator Ukrenergo, reports emergency power cuts in Kyiv and in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The publication and Romanian news agency RADOR also report strikes on critical infrastructure in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih district. These reports do not confirm the full list of targets announced by Moscow.

Kyiv Post and Digi24 carry reports from Ukrainian local authorities of damage to a medical facility in Kharkiv. The reported number of injured differs: Digi24 reports at least 46 people, while Kyiv Post reports 73, citing updated information from the regional authorities. There is insufficient information to reconcile these figures definitively; they must not be added together.

The reported consequences for civilians are a separate part of the assessment of the attack. Russia's claim that the energy facilities serve the military does not establish that their purpose was exclusively military.