Symbolic imageRussian strikes cut power to over a million Ukrainians; Ukrainian drones hit Russian sites
Russian drones killed three people in Ukraine, and over a million consumers lost power at some point, the energy ministry says. Ukrainian drones hit a Siberian industrial site.
Russian drones struck Rivne in western Ukraine overnight into Friday, 16 October, injuring seven, according to regional head Oleksandr Koval, who said residential buildings were among the civilian sites hit. Ukrainian media reported damage to the Ekvator shopping center and the Demaks hypermarket. A strike on 13 October had injured 30 people at a university building in the city.
Winter plan against the grid
Meduza, citing the New York Times, reports on a Russian government plan intercepted by Ukraine: about 70 ballistic missiles, 720 long-range drones and 150 guided bombs to cut electricity, heat and water in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa.
Ukrainian strikes in Russia
Governor Ruslan Kukharuk said drones set an industrial facility on fire in the Surgut district of Western Siberia; the Ukrainian channel Exilenova+ names a Gazprom subsidiary's gas condensate plant. Reuters, citing sources, says the Ryazan refinery halted one primary unit after drone attacks.
Moscow airports closed
Rosaviatsiya restricted flights at four Moscow airports from Thursday evening until early Friday, and almost 160 flights were delayed or canceled, the Moskva agency reported. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses shot down 94 drones heading for the capital.