Kyiv's New Front Line: Russia Hits Supermarkets and Power Grid, Killing 7
Russia is targeting everyday life in Kyiv, striking supermarkets and energy sites as part of a campaign to make the capital unlivable before winter. At least seven people were killed in the latest attack on Ukraine's power system.
Russia is intensifying its attacks on Kyiv, shifting from the battlefield to target the daily life of civilians in the Ukrainian capital. Officials say the Kremlin is now aiming at supermarkets, power stations, and other civilian infrastructure in a campaign to break the city's spirit before winter arrives [254299]. The strikes are happening at all hours, both day and night, and data centers — buildings that store computer servers holding important information — have become a main target, with several catching fire in recent attacks [253040].
On Wednesday, Russia launched a large air attack on Ukraine's energy system, hitting power stations and other infrastructure in the Kyiv region and other areas. Ukraine's prime minister called it the heaviest combined attack on energy sites in months. At least seven people were killed, including a 14-year-old, according to authorities. The attacks cut electricity to many homes and damaged residential buildings, and emergency crews worked to restore power lines in front of destroyed houses in the Kyiv region [253703].
Officials say the goal of the campaign is to make daily life unbearable and force the city to its knees before the cold sets in [254299]. Russia is using drone strikes, sabotage, and bot-farm propaganda — networks of fake social media accounts — to break the capital's spirit [254299]. Residents are reacting with stoicism, staying calm and not showing fear despite the danger [253040]. The attacks mark a shift, as Russia is now hitting the city center more often, not just areas near the front lines [253040].
The strikes are part of a broader pattern of relentless bombardment across Ukraine. The country's railway, a source of national pride that keeps the country moving with air travel shut down, is increasingly under attack, with train conductors having only minutes to get passengers off before Russian drones strike. "Sometimes we have to evacuate several times during a single journey," says conductor Anatolij Kustrja [253963]. After five years of war, Ukrainian small businesses survive through what writer and journalist Victoria Belim-Frolova calls "a constant process of adaptation," with the conflict forcing businesses to adapt constantly, especially those led by women [251926].