4 of 36 ballistic missiles shot down: russia hits the substations linking Kyiv to nuclear plants

Civilian casualties of russian strikes on 7 November and the night to 8 November, as reported by the authorities on the morning of 8.11; the data are incomplete and may rise. The reports cover different periods and partly overlap, so they have not been added up:

• Komyshuvakha (Zaporizhzhia region), 2.11 — 55 dead (no data on children or the wounded), an underground school with a humanitarian aid centre: KAB guided bombs and a FAB-3000; 9 more bodies and body parts found in 24 hours (State Emergency Service, Facebook, via Ukrinform, 7.11)
• Donetsk region, 7.11 — 5 dead (Kramatorsk — 3, Bilenke — 1, Druzhkivka — 1), 5 wounded (Vadym Filashkin, head of the RMA, Telegram, via LB.ua and Ukrainska Pravda, 8.11)
• Kyiv region, night to 7.11 — 1 dead (a 66-year-old man who died in hospital, Brovary district), two wounded in Bohdanivka (a couple born in 1960 and 1951; on the morning of 7.11 also a 26-year-old man in hospital, a woman with an acute stress reaction); houses, energy facilities and businesses damaged (Tymur Tkachenko, head of the RMA, police, State Emergency Service, via Suspilne Kyiv, 7.11 10:19)
• Dnipropetrovsk region, night to 7.11 — 1 dead, 4 wounded (1 of them a child; 3 wounded in Pavlohrad, including an 11-year-old girl) — per the RMA summary (head of the RMA Oleksandr Hanzha), via TSN/my.ua, 7.11 13:06
• Odesa, evening of 7.11 — 1 civilian killed, city infrastructure damaged (Serhii Lysak, head of the city military administration, Telegram, via Znaj.ua, 8.11; number of wounded not given)
• Kyiv, morning of 7.11 — 0 dead, 6 wounded (1 of them a child); a drone hit a private house in the Darnytskyi district, fires in the Sviatoshynskyi district (State Emergency Service, via Ukrinform, 7.11 09:59)
• Kremenchuk (Poltava region), 7.11 — 4 wounded, private businesses damaged (via Ukrinform, “Day 1718” review, 7.11 19:58)
• Sumy region, 7.11 — 3 wounded by KAB guided-bomb strikes (per Ukrinform’s “Day 1717” review; the strikes were on 6.11)
• Vinnytsia region (Ladyzhyn), 7.11 — 1 seriously wounded; energy infrastructure, a fire station and a market damaged (Vinnytsia RMA, via TSN/my.ua)

Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region: 55 dead (53 a day earlier), according to the State Emergency Service (Facebook, via Ukrinform, 7.11); in 24 hours rescuers recovered 9 more bodies and body parts from the rubble, and the search continues despite the risk of new strikes. The sequence, according to HUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence: at 09:45 on 2 November two KAB guided bombs hit the “Dzherelo” gymnasium (school), destroying the sports hall and a utility building; about an hour later a 3-tonne FAB-3000 struck the underground shelter that housed a “resilience hub” and a refuge for residents. Four Su-34 bombers were involved; HUR named the colonel who planned the strike and six pilots. Ukrinform writes that about 100 people may have been at the site; on the morning of 7.11 HUR estimated that several dozen more bodies could still be under the rubble (no new official count). The material read says nothing about the wounded or children among the dead; according to headlines from UNN and Censor.NET, three days of mourning have been declared in the region (texts not read).

Kyiv and the Kyiv region, 7 November: 6 wounded in the capital, including a child (up from five), according to the State Emergency Service (7.11 09:59). In the Darnytskyi district a drone hit a two-storey private house; in Sviatoshynskyi an abandoned industrial site and the roof of a non-residential building caught fire; an apartment building and a kindergarten in the Solomianskyi district were also damaged. In the Kyiv region a 66-year-old man wounded in the evening attack on the Brovary district died in hospital (Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Regional Military Administration, Suspilne, 7.11 10:19). Strikes on the energy system disrupted heating and water supplies in Kyiv.

199 combat clashes in the 24 hours to 08:00 on 8 November — 3% below the weekly average (205), according to Ukraine’s General Staff (Ukrinform, 08:43). The fiercest fighting was on the Kostiantynivka direction, west of russian-held Bakhmut: 23 attacks, the most since 4.11 (weekly average 17). russia carried out 2 missile strikes and 74 air strikes with 235 KAB guided bombs, used 7,557 kamikaze drones and shelled Ukrainian positions and towns 2,369 times, 18 times with multiple rocket launchers. The named directions account for only 55 of the 199 attacks; another 4 (plus 9 air strikes with 20 KABs and 126 shelling attacks) are attributed to the North Slobozhanskyi and Kursk directions combined and are not in the chart; the report does not explain the gap. Attacks by direction:

• Kostiantynivka — 23
• Pokrovsk — 9
• South Slobozhanskyi — 8
• Lyman — 5
• Sloviansk — 4
• Huliaipole — 3
• Orikhiv — 2
• Kramatorsk — 1
• Kupiansk, Oleksandrivka and Prydniprovskyi — no assaults

russian losses in the 24 hours to 8 November, according to Ukraine’s General Staff: 2,290 troops; 14 armoured fighting vehicles — the most since 21.10 and almost three times the weekly average (5). Total ~1,606,400 personnel; not independently verified:

• personnel — 2,290
• tanks — 2
• armoured fighting vehicles — 14
• artillery systems — 44
• MLRS — 0
• air defence systems — 4
• aircraft, helicopters — 0
• operational-tactical drones — 1,337
• cruise missiles — 4
• vehicles (incl. tankers) — 461
• unmanned ground vehicles — 6
• special equipment — 7

🧭unverifiedUkrinform’s “Day 1718” review (7.11 19:58) and report headlines: the 95th Brigade is advancing on the Oleksandrivka direction; on the Kupiansk direction, according to spokesperson Viktor Trehubov, russian troops are making some attempts to advance towards Radkivka (Ukrinform, 8.11 03:24); Mala Tokmachka in the Zaporizhzhia region remains under Ukrainian control, according to the Joint Forces Group “South” (“Day 1717” review). According to a Ukrinform headline (7.11 19:43), the military do not yet see russian preparations for a breakthrough towards Kharkiv. The material read contains no General Staff confirmation of changes on the front line; the texts of most reports were not read.

167 targets on the night to 8 November — 36% below the weekly average (259); 137 drones shot down or suppressed (82% of all targets); hits at 23 locations — the most since 3.11. Ukraine’s Air Force data (report at 08:23, as of 08:00; the attack was continuing):

• 164 Shahed-type attack drones, 112 of them jet-powered (Gerbera and Parodiya decoys included; no separate breakdown)
• 3 Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missiles from the Sea of Azov area
• 137 drones shot down or suppressed, 88 of them jet-powered; the report says nothing about missiles
• Hits at 23 locations, debris at 6; specific places not named
• Launch areas: Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk, Hvardiiske (Crimea)

⚡36 ballistic-trajectory missiles were fired at Kyiv and the Kyiv region on 7 November — and only four could be stopped, Volodymyr Zelensky said (Facebook, 7.11); preliminary data point to North Korean KN-23 missiles, and experts are still examining the impact sites. For comparison: of the drones launched the same day, 149 of 172 (117 jet-powered) were stopped, according to Ukraine’s Air Force (report at 09:00 7.11), with hits at 24 locations; the Air Force report read gives no number of missiles launched. Zelensky reported damage to substations connecting the Rivne and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants to the capital and central Ukraine, and a severe shortage of Patriot missiles. In Kyiv missiles hit the Northern Bridge (damaging the roadway, a trolleybus line and a power line); heating and water supplies were badly disrupted; Chernihiv remained completely without power, and the Zhytomyr region suffered a large-scale blackout. According to a Ukrinform review, energy facilities were hit 18 times in 24 hours, and russian forces attacked a facility of Naftogaz, the state energy company, three times, causing a large fire.

💥📏 165 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Oryol, Proton-Electrotex plant, night to 7 November: Ukrainian Neptune missiles hit the plant, with impacts, a fire and explosions recorded; the extent of damage is being assessed (Ukraine’s General Staff, Facebook, via Ukrinform, 7.11 10:16). Oryol lies about 160 km from the Ukrainian border. According to the General Staff, the plant makes optoelectronic equipment, including modules for Kh-71 missiles and switches for Iskander-M missile systems. The governor acknowledged damage to an enterprise in the city’s Sovetsky district without naming it, so the attack itself is admitted, but only the General Staff confirms the specific target. The plant was already hit on 23 October (five people were killed then, according to The Moscow Times).

local authorities: indirectLocal authorities (Andrey Klychkov, governor of the Oryol region, 7.11): confirmed an attack on an enterprise in the Sovetsky district of Oryol without naming it; production premises were partly damaged “as a result of repelling a massive missile attack”; later: no casualties, 3 missiles and 2 drones shot down, a warehouse and production space of enterprises and 3 private houses damaged (per The Moscow Times and Meduza)

💥Bryansk region (russia, on Ukraine’s northern border), 6–7 November: two Iskander missile launchers and a Pantsir-S1 air-defence system hit, extent of damage being assessed (Ukraine’s General Staff, Telegram, via Ukrinform, 7.11 11:04). The same statement lists supply depots near Sokolohirsk and Zaaidarivka (occupied Luhansk region) and a gathering area of drone operators near Novobohdanivka (occupied Zaporizhzhia region). No independent imagery or local statements were found — the hits are confirmed by the General Staff alone.

local authorities silentLocal authorities (Bryansk region authorities, 6–7.11): no statements about these targets found in the material read; a search for 7.11 returned only old reports

🔥unverified📏 605 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Saratov, Rosneft refinery on the Volga, night to 7 November — at least the seventh russian refinery hit since 30 October, by The Moscow Times’ count (before it: Novokuibyshevsk, Ufa, the Nizhny Novgorod region, the Yaroslavl region, Ryazan, Afipsky). According to The Moscow Times and Meduza (7.11, morning), several fires and a plume of smoke are visible at the plant; Astra also reports the fire. The target was identified by monitoring channels and Astra; there is no official confirmation from Ukraine’s armed forces, SBU, HUR or USF in the material read. The governor admitted the attack and damage to civilian infrastructure without naming the refinery.

local authorities: indirectLocal authorities (Roman Busargin, governor of the Saratov region, 7.11): confirmed a drone attack on the region and damage to civilian infrastructure, without naming the refinery

🔥unverified📏 185 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Afipsky oil refinery (Krasnodar Krai, southern russia), 6 November — nothing new: Ukrinform’s “Day 1717” review (7.11 09:00), citing media, repeats that drones attacked the refinery and a fire broke out. No official confirmation or damage assessment; the original sources were not read.

local authorities silentLocal authorities (Krasnodar krai emergency headquarters, 6.11): no statements for 6.11 could be found (the search returned only reports from June 2026)

🔥unverified📏 70 km from Ukrainian-held territory ≈Rostov-on-Don, a warehouse near the Almaz defence plant, night to 7 November: a large fire covering about 8,000 square metres (The Moscow Times, citing the Exilenova+ channel). Unconfirmed; no official statements found. Coordinates are for the city centre.

local authorities silentLocal authorities (Rostov region authorities, 7.11): no statements about this facility found in the material read

🤝unverifiedBloomberg (7.11, as retold by Obozrevatel, 8.11): russia’s delegation to the Abu Dhabi talks is more senior than in previous rounds, which Bloomberg sees as a possible sign that Moscow is ready for a more substantive discussion of political and military issues. Obozrevatel adds its own view: the “signal of openness” may well be the main result. The Bloomberg original was not read.

🛢️unverifiedFor the first time in 30 years russia will ship pig iron via Murmansk, in the Arctic, to avoid Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea, the Financial Times reports (as retold by Ukrinform, 7.11). The FT text was not read, only the retelling.

🛡️unverified Germany has completely exhausted its ability to hand Patriot systems to Ukraine, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said (Focus, via Ukrinform) — as Zelensky speaks of a severe shortage of Patriot missiles. Finland’s defence minister, according to the “Day 1717” review, blamed delays in Patriot missiles on a lack of political will in the US. The original texts were not read.

🕊️Talks in Abu Dhabi on 10–11 November will be the first trilateral meeting of the US, Ukraine and russia since February (Ukrinform, citing Reuters). The kremlin named its delegation (Dmitry Peskov, 7.11): it is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, the head of the GRU military intelligence Igor Kostyukov, and Yuri Zhigarlovsky of the General Staff. Media describe Ukraine’s team differently: Obozrevatel names Rustem Umerov, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, as its head, with military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov and Davyd Arakhamia; Ukrinform writes that Budanov will join but not lead the delegation; no final official line-up was found. US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the date on 3 November (Axios, headline; text not read).

🧩unverified Ukraine will not give Donbas to russia, Zelensky said in an interview with CNN (6.11, per a Ukrinform headline). Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (“Day 1717” review) named the priorities as security guarantees, de-escalation in the Black Sea, an energy ceasefire and prisoner exchanges; on 10 November he will attend a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Paris.

💶 Norway is providing about $53 million through the World Bank for social payments and salaries in Ukraine in early 2027 (Ukrinform, 7.11). According to the “Day 1717” review, Zelensky’s visits to Germany and Spain brought a €437 million package from Spain and a winter support package from Germany.

🕊️🌍unverified Ukraine and russia. russia and Ukraine “probably for the first time” want to reach a deal, Trump told reporters after arriving in Palm Beach, Florida, on 7 November; he said he had calls that day and would have more the next, and again promised a “very big deal” for all of Europe. Quotes are given as retold in Ukrainian (Yevropeiska Pravda, 7.11 08:17; UNIAN, 6.11); the English originals were not read.

💥 Iran. On 6 November (Friday) US forces carried out limited strikes on Iran’s air defences — the first since the Republicans lost the midterm elections; Trump called the operation “minor” and said Iran had built a small air-defence facility that the US destroyed in “15 minutes, maybe five” (7.11, West Palm Beach, per Korrespondent). According to Axios (5.11, two US officials), Trump is choosing between three options: resume strikes, continue economic pressure, or a deal with significant concessions; a decision is due “soon”.

⚖️unverifiedComparing wars — a repeat: “25,000 people a month” die in Ukraine, Trump said (5.11, as retold by Clash Report and 24 Kanal), unlike Iran, where, in his words, nobody has died for half a year. No source confirms the figure; the venue was not named and the original was not read.

🤷No funny or odd episode for 7–8 November with a reliable English-language source could be found; the item is skipped rather than invented.

unverifiedUS special envoy Steve Witkoff (per Axios, 3.11, headline) announced that the US, russia and Ukraine would resume talks in Abu Dhabi the following week; the Axios text could not be read.

🛡️unverifiedJared Kushner outlined five strands of a new European security architecture involving Ukraine (Ukrinform headline, 6–7.11; more in yesterday’s issue). New in the “Day 1717” review: the US, Ukraine, NATO and the EU are preparing a global security plan. The texts were not read.

No statements by Chinese officials on the war or the talks could be found for 7–8 November.

🗣️Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov announced russia’s delegation to the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on 10–11 November on 7 November (per Reuters/Interfax via Espreso, 17:07): both diplomats and senior military officials will go, and the group will again be led by Vladimir Medinsky. Context: these are the first such talks since February; on 4 November, according to Espreso, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) saw Medinsky’s reappointment as a sign that Moscow is unwilling to make a deal — this assessment is given only as retold.

🗣️unverifiedrussia’s president Vladimir Putin met members of the delegation at a Security Council meeting on 6 November, thanked the UAE for hosting the talks and said he wanted to discuss the preparations; the rest of the meeting was closed (per Espreso, 7.11). Context: Bloomberg considers the delegation more senior than in previous rounds.

🗣️No new statements by Lavrov, Ushakov, Medvedev, Belousov, Shoigu, Matviyenko or Volodin on the war, the talks, Ukraine or the US were found for 7–8 November.