Ukraine: Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants without electricity after the November 8 strikes

Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants were deprived of electricity after further Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, on the night of Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 November 2026. South West, franceinfo and Le Devoir report the same cuts in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions. Their information is mainly based on statements by the operator DTEK and the Ukrainian authorities: this media convergence does not constitute several independent counts. [S2] [S3] [S4]

Two affected regions, figures to be distinguished

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, DTEK reports that more than 600,000 people have been without power after damage to major energy facilities. His statement mentions the districts of Pavlohrad, Samar, Kamianske and Dnipro, as well as the city of Dnipro. The Ukrainian media LB.ua, which also cites the regional military administration, adds the district of Synelnykove to the sectors concerned. [S8] [S9]

In the Kharkiv region, a Russian drone hit a "critical facility," according to Mykola Baksheyev, mayor of Zlatopil, quoted by the French media. The elected representative reported nearly 250,000 private users of electricity and repairs in progress. These reports do not specify the exact nature of the damaged facility. [S3] [S4] [S6]

The formulation of the balance sheets requires caution: DTEK speaks of inhabitants, LB.ua of customers, and Kharkiv's balance sheet focuses on users. South West evokes "homes" in its title, but includes residents and users in its text. These units are not interchangeable; Therefore, they do not make it possible to announce a specific total of affected households. The figures describe the reported cuts, without providing an updated status of the already restored connections. [S3] [S4] [S8] [S9]

Emergency essential services

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, hospitals and critical infrastructure use generators, according to Oleksandr Hanja, head of the regional military administration, quoted by CNews and LB.ua. This backup power does not mean that the usual network is functioning again. The sources do not specify the autonomy of these facilities or any disruptions of care. [S6] [S9]

DTEK indicates that its teams are working to restore the current, giving priority to critical infrastructure. Repeated attacks, however, complicate their interventions. For residents, the return to normal food remains dependent on repairs and team safety. No specific recovery schedule is given in the operator's release. [S8]

LB.ua also reports a call for people still fed to limit their consumption. This is a demand for electricity saving: the article does not mention any associated sanction. This individual contribution must be distinguished from the rehabilitation of the facilities, which is the responsibility of the technical teams. Nor does the information available suggest that individuals have the same means of relief as essential facilities. [S8] [S9]

A new wave after yesterday's strikes

Energy infrastructure in five regions, including Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv, had already been targeted on the night of Friday to Saturday. This previous wave is the context for the new cuts, but its consequences should not be added to the balance sheets announced on Sunday: the reports do not identify the inhabitants or installations affected on several occasions. [S2] [S3] [S4]

Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Moscow of using these attacks as a means of "pressure" before a resumption of trilateral negotiations announced for the following week. The political objective thus described is the Ukrainian President's interpretation, not a fact established by the damage to the network alone. The cited articles do not present a specific Russian response to the night's energy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv. [S2] [S3] [S4]

The precise extent of the damage, the duration of the cuts and their consequences for each service remain to be established. The sources devoted to these energy installations do not give any human results specific to these strikes. This lack of figures makes it impossible to conclude that there are no victims. [S4] [S6] [S8] [S9]