Kyiv closed its 816-meter Northern Bridge after damage to road and electrical infrastructure.
Why it matters: The strikes add pressure to Ukraine's energy, heating, water and transport systems as winter approaches. They also come days before scheduled Russia-Ukraine talks involving U.S. representatives.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles overnight on November 6-7, 2026.
- Ukraine's Energy Ministry said strikes damaged transmission networks carrying electricity from nuclear plants to Kyiv and central Ukraine.
- Kyiv closed the approximately 816-meter Northern Bridge after damage to its road surface and electrical infrastructure.
- Russia-Ukraine talks involving U.S. representatives were scheduled for November 10-11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi.
Russia launched an overnight missile-and-drone attack on Kyiv and surrounding regions on November 6-7, 2026, days before talks involving Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. representatives.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia used 172 drones and 36 ballistic missiles, with the ballistic missiles directed at Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. Ukraine's Energy Ministry said the strikes damaged transmission networks carrying electricity from nuclear power plants to Kyiv and central regions, along with other energy facilities. The account describes damage to power-transmission networks, not to the nuclear plants themselves. Outages affected Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to the Associated Press.
Kyiv also reported disruptions to heating and water systems. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the energy situation was “extremely difficult,” the AP reported.
The Northern Bridge, an approximately 816-meter route across the Dnipro River, was closed after damage to its roadbed, trolleybus overhead line and power line. The Institute for the Study of War reported that repair work began after the attack.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the bridge supported the movement of weapons and military equipment and claimed strikes also hit a power plant, substations and industrial facilities. Those claims have not been independently verified. Reuters reported the Russian account, which contrasts with Ukraine's description of a broader campaign against critical infrastructure.
Talks involving Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. representatives were scheduled for November 10-11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi, according to the AP. Zelenskyy characterized the timing as an effort to pressure Ukraine before the meeting, but that remains his interpretation rather than an independently established motive.
By the numbers
- 172 drones - Number Zelenskyy said Russia launched overnight on November 6-7
- 36 ballistic missiles - Number Zelenskyy said Russia launched, directed at Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast
- 816 meters - Approximate length of Kyiv's Northern Bridge
Yes, but: Russia's claims about the military role of the Northern Bridge and strikes on power and industrial facilities have not been independently verified.
What's next: Russia-Ukraine talks involving U.S. representatives were scheduled for November 10-11, 2026, in Abu Dhabi.