Overview
- Ukraine reported roughly 430 drones and 18 rockets targeting Kyiv and other cities, while Russia said it downed 216 Ukrainian drones and that debris briefly disrupted the Novovoronezh nuclear plant.
- Authorities said at least eight civilians were killed, including six in Kyiv and two at an Odesa market, with dozens injured and damage to residential buildings and public facilities.
- Energy facilities were struck, triggering outages in parts of the Kyiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions, as officials warn of a brutal winter and energy executives say Russia aims to wreck the grid.
- Germany condemned the attacks, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius calling them people‑despising and citing an expanded €11.5 billion Ukraine budget for 2026 as the EU prepares another sanctions package.
- Ukraine flagged fresh evidence of foreign recruitment to Russian forces, citing 1,436 Africans identified in Russian ranks and cases involving South African and Kenyan nationals under investigation.