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Wave of Russian missiles hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities
Luke Harding, Dan Sabbagh and Isobel Koshiw are in Ukraine for the Guardian. Here is their latest report on this morning’s attacks:
Russia launched a wave of cruise missiles at hydro electric dams and other critical infrastructure across Ukraine on Monday morning, with explosions reported near the capital, Kyiv, and in at least 10 other cities and regions.
Ukraine’s air command said it shot down 44 out of 50 enemy rockets. Video footage suggested several missiles were intercepted in the skies around Kyiv soon after 8am local time. Air raid sirens went off nationally, with citizens told to seek shelter.
But others penetrated Ukraine’s defences. The governor of Kyiv, Oleksiy Kuleba, said “massive shelling in the region” had damaged electricity and energy infrastructure. He said residents should expert emergency power cuts. He added: “There is currently one victim. We are clarifying the information.”
The cruise missiles were fired from Russian Tu-90 and T-60 aircraft flying north of the Caspian Sea and the Rostov region. They hit targets in the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts, as well as in the areas of Mikolaiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Chernivtsi.
Hyrdoelectric power stations were among the targets hit by Russia this morning, according to Herman Halushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister. In a statement on Facebook, Halushchenko described it as “another barbaric attack”, adding that “electric substations, hydropower and heat generation facilities were hit by rockets”.
As a result, scheduled partial blackouts and emergency blackouts have been introduced in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Poltava regions, he said.
Key events
Russia has dismissed reports that its agents hacked Liz Truss’ phone, and managed to gain access to sensitive information.
It was claimed the breach was discovered when Truss, then the foreign secretary, was running for the Conservative leadership, but details were suppressed by the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson, and the cabinet secretary, Simon Case.
When asked about the report, the Kremlin said there was little in British media that could be taken seriously.
Summary of the day so far …
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Russia launched a wave of cruise missiles at hydroelectric dams and other critical infrastructure across Ukraine on Monday morning, with explosions reported near the capital, Kyiv, and in at least 10 other cities and regions. Ukraine’s air command said it shot down 44 out of 50 enemy rockets. Video footage suggested that several missiles were intercepted in the skies around Kyiv soon after 8am local time. Air raid sirens went off nationally, with citizens told to seek shelter.
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The governor of Kyiv, Oleksiy Kuleba, said “massive shelling in the region” had damaged electricity and energy infrastructure. He said residents should expert emergency power cuts. He added: “There is currently one victim. We are clarifying the information.”
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The cruise missiles were fired from Russian Tu-90 and T-60 aircraft flying north of the Caspian Sea and the Rostov region. They hit targets in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts, as well as in the areas of Mikolaiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Chernivtsi. In a statement on Facebook, Herman Halushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister, described Monday morning’s attacks as “barbaric” and said: “Electric substations, hydropower and heat generation facilities were hit by rockets.”
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Fragments from a Russian rocket, shot down by Ukrainian air defence, landed in Naslavcea, Moldova, damaging some houses and buildings, according to Moldova’s interior ministry.
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Twelve grain export ships have left from Ukraine today, despite Russia pulling out of the Turkey-UN brokered grain deal, according to Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.
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Turkey will continue its efforts to support the Black Sea grain export deal despite Russian hesitancy, president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday after Russia suspended its participation in the initiative at the weekend.
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France is working towards allowing Ukraine to export food supplies via land routes rather than by the Black Sea through Poland or Romania, the French farming minister, Marc Fesneau, said on Monday.
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed his forces repelled a “fierce offensive” by Russian troops in the eastern Donetsk region. “Today they stopped the fierce offensive actions of the enemy,” Zelenskiy said in his Sunday night address. “The Russian attack was repelled.” The fiercest fighting in Donetsk region has been around the towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
That is it from me, Martin Belam, for now. I will be back with you later on. Zaina Alibhai will be with you shortly.
Russian state-owned news agency RIA is reporting that the governor of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, has announced a wave of nationalisations of organisations and individuals associated with Ukrainian authorities. It quotes a message from Sergei Aksyonov on Telegram stating:
I gave instructions on the nationalisation of the property of a number of organisations and individuals associated with the Kyiv regime located on the territory of the Republic of Crimea. The corresponding decision will be signed by me tomorrow, we will send the documents to the state council of the republic.
RIA reports he said that the list of objects subject to nationalisation was drawn up by a special anti-terrorist commission, and it includes a shipyard and construction facilities.
Here is one of the images that we have received of smoke over the skyline of Kyiv this morning following Russian missile strikes this morning.
Isobel Koshiw reports that fragments from a Russian rocket, shot down by Ukrainian air defence, landed in Naslavcea, Moldova, damaging some houses, and buildings, according to Moldova’s interior ministry.
She notes that this is “the first spillover since the war began”.
Fragments from a Russian rocket, shot down by Ukrainian air defense, landed in Naslavcea, Moldova, damaging some houses, buildings, according to Moldova’s interior ministry. The first spillover since the war began. https://t.co/u45x7pkj80
— Isobel Koshiw (@IKoshiw) October 31, 2022
Very early in the war there were some explosions in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region on the east of the country. Here is a reminder on the situation there.
Kyiv’s city state administration has issued this map online of the locations residents can find their nearest pumping station to stock up on water. The red markers indicates pumps which are “temporarily out of service due to lack of electricity”.
Wave of Russian missiles hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities
Luke Harding, Dan Sabbagh and Isobel Koshiw are in Ukraine for the Guardian. Here is their latest report on this morning’s attacks:
Russia launched a wave of cruise missiles at hydro electric dams and other critical infrastructure across Ukraine on Monday morning, with explosions reported near the capital, Kyiv, and in at least 10 other cities and regions.
Ukraine’s air command said it shot down 44 out of 50 enemy rockets. Video footage suggested several missiles were intercepted in the skies around Kyiv soon after 8am local time. Air raid sirens went off nationally, with citizens told to seek shelter.
But others penetrated Ukraine’s defences. The governor of Kyiv, Oleksiy Kuleba, said “massive shelling in the region” had damaged electricity and energy infrastructure. He said residents should expert emergency power cuts. He added: “There is currently one victim. We are clarifying the information.”
The cruise missiles were fired from Russian Tu-90 and T-60 aircraft flying north of the Caspian Sea and the Rostov region. They hit targets in the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts, as well as in the areas of Mikolaiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Chernivtsi.
Hyrdoelectric power stations were among the targets hit by Russia this morning, according to Herman Halushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister. In a statement on Facebook, Halushchenko described it as “another barbaric attack”, adding that “electric substations, hydropower and heat generation facilities were hit by rockets”.
As a result, scheduled partial blackouts and emergency blackouts have been introduced in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Poltava regions, he said.
Turkey will continue its efforts to support the Black Sea grain export deal despite Russian hesitancy, president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday after Russia suspended its participation in the initiative at the weekend.
“Even if Russia behaves hesitantly because it didn’t receive the same benefits, we will continue decisively our efforts to serve humanity,” Reuters reports Erdogan said in a speech.
Separately, a UN spokesperson said the first of 40 planned ship inspections on Monday had been completed in Istanbul waters with a team of only UN and Turkish members, rather than the previous four-member teams including Russians and Ukrainians before Moscow’s suspension.
Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, has made this report to residents via Telegram, informing them:
After the morning arrivals, the situation in Kharkiv is rather complicated. The blow fell on a critical infrastructure facility, as a result of which the subway and ground electric transport were de-energised. At the moment, we have managed to launch the Kholodnogorsko-Zavodskaya line, and we have replaced trolleybuses and trams with buses.
There are also problems with water supply, but power engineers and our public utilities are doing everything possible to resume water supply to the homes of Kharkiv residents as soon as possible. All services are working to restore the normal life support of Kharkiv. Together we will stand and win.
Kyiv governor: one known victim of attack on Kyiv so far
Here is an image we’ve been sent from Kyiv this morning, showing people sheltering in a Metro station.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv, issued this update shortly after 10am in Kyiv (8am GMT) saying:
Residents of Kyiv region! Due to massive shelling in the region, there is damage to the energy infrastructure. Part of the Kyiv region remains without electricity. Energy experts are already working on eliminating the consequences. Emergency power cuts are also introduced in the region. Prepare for long-term power outages. There is currently one victim, we are clarifying the information. There is also the destruction of private buildings. I urge everyone to whom blackouts do not apply to use electricity sparingly.
Twelve grain export ships have left from Ukraine today, despite Russia pulling out of the Turkey-UN brokered grain deal, according to Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure.
Oleksandr Kubrakov has tweeted to say:
Today 12 ships left Ukrainian ports. UN and Turkish delegations provide ten inspection teams to inspect 40 ships aiming to fulfil the Black Sea grain initiative. This inspection plan has been accepted by the Ukrainian delegation. The Russian delegation has been informed.
Maksym Kozytskyi, governor of Lviv, has given details of a rolling electricity cuts programme that is being introduced in the city. He has posted to Telegram to say:
Starting today, an hourly electricity blackout schedule will be introduced in Lviv oblast and throughout Ukraine. Lvivoblenergo specialists divided consumers of the region into 3 groups. All details are on the Lvivoblenergo website. Also, due to the attacks on critical infrastructure objects, which the terrorist state resorted to today, emergency power cuts are being introduced in Ukraine. I will report on the situation in Lviv oblast later.
France is working towards allowing Ukraine to export food supplies via land routes rather than by the Black Sea through Poland or Romania, the French farming minister said on Monday, after Russia withdrew from a crucial export deal amid its war with Ukraine.
“We are looking to see whether, if it cannot pass through the Black Sea, if it can instead pass through overland routes, in particular by looking at land routes through Romania and Poland,” Reuters reports agriculture minister Marc Fesneau told RMC Radio.
“We will continue to work towards a system which does not put us in the hands and the goodwill, or in this case the bad will, of Vladimir Putin,” said Fesneau.
Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, has given an update on the power situation in the nation’s capital following a series of attacks from Russia this morning. He posted to Telegram to tell residents:
Power engineers are working to restore electricity supply after damage to an energy facility that powers about 350,000 apartments in Kyiv. Specialists, together with other emergency services and authorities are doing everything possible to stabilise the situation as soon as possible.
The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget A Brink, has confirmed that her and her staff are sheltering, tweeting:
Like millions of Ukrainians, our team is once again taking shelter as Russia continues its callous and barbaric missile strikes on the people of Ukraine in an effort to leave the country cold and dark as we approach winter.
Some Ukrainian authorities have maintained a grim sense of humour during the war, and this morning Vitaliy Kim, governor of Mykolaiv, has posted a small unverified video clip that appears to show a Russian missile executing a mid-air U-turn, with the message “One (only) of the missiles of the Russian Federation has critical and logical thinking. After weighing all the arguments and deciding not to commit a war crime, the rocket decided to return to its ‘home harbour’.”
Rohit Kachroo, global security editor at ITV News, reported earlier that he had heard eight explosions in Kyiv, and has posted a short video clip showing smoke rising over the city.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, has posted this about today’s attacks:
Another batch of Russian missiles hits Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians. Don’t justify these attacks by calling them a ‘response’. Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians.
Another batch of Russian missiles hits Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians. Don’t justify these attacks by calling them a ‘response’. Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) October 31, 2022
Andriy Sadovyi, Lviv’s mayor, has praised Ukraine’s air defence this morning, saying: “Air defence forces that shoot down missiles in such foggy weather are, without exaggeration, Titans”.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv region, has meanwhile used to Telegram to say that the air alert continues and to urge people to stay in shelters. He posted: “There is a possibility of repeated shelling. Do not photograph the place of arrivals or the work of the air defence. Remember your own safety.”
Lawmakers and officials in Ukraine have been confirming the strikes on Kyiv this morning. Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko posted:
Monday starts with Russia missile attacks across the country. Kyiv has been under fire for the last hour. Blackouts again. And no water in parts of the city. Putin’s crimes against civilians continue.
Monday starts with #russia missile attacks across the country. #Kyiv has been under fire for the last hour. Blackouts again. And no water in parts of the city. #putin’s crimes against civilians continue
— Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) October 31, 2022
Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko tweeted:
Morning starts with air defence sirens all across Ukraine. Russian missiles hit energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities, causing electricity and water outages. Russia is not interested in peace talks, nor in global food security. Putin’s only goal is death and destruction.
Morning starts with air defense sirens all across Ukraine. Russian missiles hit energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities, causing electricity and water outages. Russia is not interested in peace talks, nor in global food security. Putin’s only goal is death and destruction.
— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) October 31, 2022
Isobel Koshiw, who has been reporting from Ukraine for the Guardian, posts to Twitter from Kyiv:
Explosions so far seem to have been outside Kyiv city centre. Electricity, water out in some parts of Kyiv. Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Cherkasy hit too. Ukraine’s emergency services issued an alert urging people to obey the sirens, seek shelter, as they expect more attacks today.
Earlier, she reported hearing four explosions in Kyiv in quick succession.
Explosions so far seem to have been outside Kyiv city centre. Electricity, water out in some parts of Kyiv. Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Cherkasy hit too.
Ukraine’s emergency services issued an alert urging people to obey the sirens, seek shelter, as they expect more attacks today https://t.co/OmZRpLEsku
— Isobel Koshiw (@IKoshiw) October 31, 2022
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This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can reach me at martin.belam@theguardian.com, and I will be with you for the next few hours.
Explosions have also been reported in Kharkiv this morning.
The city’s mayor Igor Terekhov said Russia “hit a critical infrastructure facility in the city.”
⚡️Explosions reported in Kharkiv, air raid sirens are on across country.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Russia “hit a critical infrastructure facility in the city.”
Cherkasy Oblast Administration also reported that a critical infrastructure site in the region was hit.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) October 31, 2022
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